Sliding drawer storage rack for cold storage units

Abstract

A sliding drawer storage rack for cold storage units includes a rack body and a plurality of shelves operatively coupled to the rack body. A drawer defines a storage cavity and is configured to be supported for sliding movement by at least one of the plurality of shelves. A plurality of divider lips extends upwardly from the drawer to divide the storage cavity into a plurality of box receptacles sized to receive a storage box. At least some of the plurality of shelves are defined by opposing first and second L-shaped supports laterally spaced from each other and coupled to the rack body, thereby reducing material use and weight of the storage rack.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage rack for holding a plurality of storage boxes within a cold storage unit, comprising:
 a rack body including a bottom wall and first and second opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom wall, with each of the bottom wall and the first and second sidewalls extending between a front end and a rear end;   a plurality of shelves, at least one of the shelves being defined by a first L-shaped support operatively coupled to the first sidewall and a second L-shaped support operatively coupled to the second sidewall and opposing the first L-shaped support, wherein each of the first and second L-shaped supports consists of a first planar leg coupled to the respective first or second sidewall and a second planar leg extending towards the second planar leg of the opposing L-shaped support, the second planar legs of the first and second L-shaped supports each defining an elongate terminal edge extending at least partially between the front and rear ends of the rack body and facing towards the second planar leg of the opposing L-shaped support, the first and second L-shaped supports being laterally spaced from each other such that a gap is defined between the elongate terminal edges of the second planar legs without any connections formed between the second planar legs across the gap; and   a drawer being supported for sliding movement on at least one of the plurality of shelves and configured to hold the plurality of storage boxes.   
     
     
         2 . The storage rack of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sidewalls of the rack body include a plurality of first alignment apertures and the first planar leg of the first and second L-shaped supports include a plurality of second alignment apertures configured to be brought into alignment with the first alignment apertures during assembly of the plurality of shelves to the rack body. 
     
     
         3 . The storage rack of  claim 2 , wherein the first planar leg of each first and second L-shaped support is coupled to the corresponding first or second sidewall with a plurality of spot welds located at the first and second alignment apertures. 
     
     
         4 . The storage rack of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of shelves comprises a rack reinforcement plate extending between the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         5 . The storage rack of  claim 4 , wherein the rack reinforcement plate includes a plurality of apertures for enhancing air flow through the corresponding shelves. 
     
     
         6 . The storage rack of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of shelves includes the first and second L-shaped supports without a rack reinforcement plate. 
     
     
         7 . The storage rack of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of shelves includes a top shelf located farthest away from the bottom wall, a bottom shelf defined by the bottom wall, and a plurality of intermediate shelves located between the top and bottom shelves, wherein the top shelf is the only shelf including the rack reinforcement plate such that the plurality of intermediate shelves each includes the first and second L-shaped supports. 
     
     
         8 . The storage rack of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer further includes a drawer bottom and a plurality of projections formed from the same material as the drawer and extending downwardly from the drawer bottom, the plurality of projections being configured to support the drawer on the shelf. 
     
     
         9 . The storage rack of  claim 8 , wherein each of the projections comprises a dimple punched into the drawer bottom. 
     
     
         10 . The storage rack of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a divider insert configured to separate a storage cavity within the drawer into a plurality of box receptacles sized to receive the storage boxes.   
     
     
         11 . The storage rack of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer further includes a drawer bottom having a periphery and a drawer sidewall that extends upwardly from the drawer bottom to define a storage cavity, and the storage rack further comprises:
 a plurality of divider lips extending upwardly from the drawer bottom, the divider lips configured to divide the storage cavity into a plurality of box receptacles sized to receive at least one of the storage boxes.   
     
     
         12 . A cold storage unit for storing a plurality of storage boxes, comprising;
 a housing defining an interior volume;   a door adjacent to the housing, the door being configured to open to provide access to the interior volume; and   a storage rack positioned within the interior volume, the storage rack including:
 a rack body including a bottom wall and first and second opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom wall, with each of the bottom wall and the first and second sidewalls extending between a front end and a rear end; 
 a plurality of shelves, at least one of the shelves being defined by a first L-shaped support operatively coupled to the first sidewall and a second L-shaped support operatively coupled to the second sidewall and opposing the first L-shaped support, wherein each of the first and second L-shaped supports consists of a first planar leg coupled to the respective first or second sidewall and a second planar leg extending towards the second planar leg of the opposing L-shaped support, the second planar legs of the first and second L-shaped supports each defining an elongate terminal edge extending at least partially between the front and rear ends of the rack body and facing towards the second planar leg of the opposing L-shaped support, the first and second L-shaped supports being laterally spaced from each other such that a gap is defined between the elongate terminal edges of the second planar legs without any connections formed between the second planar legs across the gap; and 
 a drawer being supported for sliding movement on at least one of the plurality of shelves and configured to hold the plurality of storage boxes. 
   
     
     
         13 . The cold storage unit of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second sidewalls of the rack body include a plurality of first alignment apertures and the first planar leg of the first and second L-shaped supports include a plurality of second alignment apertures configured to be brought into alignment with the first alignment apertures during assembly of the plurality of shelves to the rack body. 
     
     
         14 . The cold storage unit of  claim 13 , wherein the first planar leg of each first and second L-shaped support is coupled to the corresponding first or second sidewall with a plurality of spot welds located at the first and second alignment apertures. 
     
     
         15 . The cold storage unit of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the plurality of shelves comprises a rack reinforcement plate extending between the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         16 . The cold storage unit of  claim 15 , wherein the rack reinforcement plate includes a plurality of apertures for enhancing air flow through the corresponding shelves. 
     
     
         17 . The cold storage unit of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of shelves includes the first and second L-shaped supports without a rack reinforcement plate. 
     
     
         18 . The cold storage unit of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of shelves includes a top shelf located farthest away from the bottom wall, a bottom shelf defined by the bottom wall, and a plurality of intermediate shelves located between the top and bottom shelves, wherein the top shelf is the only shelf including the rack reinforcement plate such that the plurality of intermediate shelves each includes the first and second L-shaped supports. 
     
     
         19 . The cold storage unit of  claim 12 , wherein the drawer further includes a drawer bottom and a plurality of projections formed from the same material as the drawer and extending downwardly from the drawer bottom, the plurality of projections being configured to support the drawer on the shelf. 
     
     
         20 . The cold storage unit of  claim 12 , wherein the drawer further includes a drawer bottom having a periphery and a drawer sidewall that extends upwardly from the drawer bottom to define a storage cavity, and the storage rack further comprises:
 a plurality of divider lips extending upwardly from the drawer bottom, the divider lips configured to divide the storage cavity into a plurality of box receptacles sized to receive at least one of the storage boxes.