Freezer drawer support assembly

Abstract

A freezer drawer support assembly is provided for a refrigerator including an upper fresh food compartment and a lower freezer compartment having a rearwardly tapering liner. The support assembly includes a pair of side adapters which compensate for the tapering of the liner, while defining both channels for the attachment of extensible drawer slides, to which a freezer door and a slidable basket is attached, and ledges for slidably supporting another basket. Preferably, the side adapters mate with groove and ledge structure formed into the liner to enhance the transfer of weight from the baskets, while enabling a refrigerator liner designed to directly support one or more slidable baskets to indirectly support multiple baskets which can be slid relative to each other.

1 - 49 . (canceled)  
   
   
       50 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 An upper fresh food compartment having an associated fresh food compartment door;    a lower freezer compartment having an associated freezer compartment door, the freezer compartment being defined by a liner including opposing side walls; and    a freezer drawer support assembly including first and second side adapters, each having a respective channel, and a pair of extensible drawer slides, each of the first and second side adapters being mounted to respective ones of the opposing side walls, the pair of extensible drawer slides being mounted in the channels of the first and second side adapters, the freezer door being connected to the extensible drawer slides for fore-to-aft movement in order to selectively provide access to the freezer compartment.    
   
   
       51 . The refrigerator according to  claim 50 , wherein each of the opposing walls of the liner includes at least one groove defining a ledge portion and each of the first and second side adapters is provided with at least one lug configured to receive support from the ledge portion when extended into the at least one groove.  
   
   
       52 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 an upper fresh food compartment having an associated fresh food compartment door;    a lower freezer compartment having an associated freezer compartment door, the freezer compartment being defined by a liner including opposing side walls; and    a freezer drawer support assembly including:    first and second side adapters, each having a front section and a channel, mounted to respective ones of the opposing side walls, each of the first and second side adapters being provided with a securing member located within a respective channel; and    a pair of extensible drawer slides secured in the channels of the first and second side adapters, the freezer compartment door being connected to the extensible drawer slides fro fore-to-aft movement relative to the liner in order to selectively provide access to the freezer compartment.    
   
   
       53 . The refrigerator according to  claim 52 , wherein the securing member includes a cantilevered member configured to snap-fittingly attach the extensible drawer slides in the channels of the first and second side adapters.  
   
   
       54 . The refrigerator according to  claim 52 , wherein each of the extensible drawer slides includes at least a cabinet member and a drawer member which are extensibly interconnected.