Monorail crisper for a refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a liner defining a compartment within a cabinet, and a storage bin that is slidably disposed within the compartment. A sliding assembly permits the storage bin to slide with respect to a support surface. The sliding assembly includes a support bracket having an elongated channel that includes opposing arm channel portions, and a guide rail extending downwards from a bottom wall of the storage bin. The guide rail is located at a central position of the bottom wall of the storage bin with respect to opposing side walls of the storage bin and includes opposing arm members. The guide rail is at least partially disposed within the elongated channel such that the opposing arm members engage arm guiding surfaces in the opposing arm channel portions to slidingly guide the storage bin between a retracted position and an extended position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet;   a liner defining a compartment within the cabinet;   a storage bin slidably disposed within the compartment at a location above a support surface, the storage bin including a bottom wall; and   a sliding assembly configured to permit the storage bin to slide with respect to the support surface, the sliding assembly comprising:
 a support bracket fixedly secured to the support surface, the support bracket including an elongated channel comprising a bottom channel portion and opposing arm channel portions, wherein a wheel guiding surface is located in the bottom channel portion; 
 a guide rail extending downwards from and centrally positioned on the bottom wall with respect to opposing side walls of the storage bin, the guide rail being located at least partially within the elongated channel of the support bracket; and 
 a wheel that is rotatably fixed to the guide rail and configured to rotate about a horizontal axis, the wheel engaging the wheel guiding surface of the bottom channel portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , the guide rail extending in a direction between a front wall and a rear wall of the storage bin, the guide rail comprising:
 a connector member that is connected to and extends directly from the bottom wall of the storage bin; and   opposing arm members that extend outwards and away from the connector member in a horizontal direction with respect to the connector member, each of the opposing arm members being located at a distal end of the connector member, and the opposing arm members disposed within the opposing arm channel portions, respectively, of the support bracket.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the wheel extends a first distance away from the bottom wall of the storage bin, the opposing arm members extend a second distance away from the bottom wall of the storage bin, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the wheel is interposed between the opposing arm members in a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , the guide rail further comprising a protrusion that extends outwards and away from the connector member in a horizontal direction with respect to the connector member, the protrusion being disposed at a location between the bottom wall of the storage bin and the opposing arm members, and positioned towards a rear wall of the storage bin. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , the support bracket further comprising a detent member disposed vertically above the elongated channel, the detent member configured to interact with the protrusion of the guide rail such that, as the storage bin moves from a retracted position to an extended position, the detent member physically contacts the protrusion at the extended position and inhibits the storage bin from further extended movement. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , the detent member comprising a resilient arm configured to bend outwards and away from the protrusion such that the detent member does not prohibit the storage bin from further extended movement in order to permit removal of the storage bin from the compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , the liner comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear surface, and opposing side surfaces, wherein the support surface is the bottom surface of the liner. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , the support bracket further including arm guiding surfaces located in the opposing arm channel portions, respectively, wherein the wheel guiding surface extends a first distance away from the support surface, the arm guiding surfaces extend a second distance away from the support surface, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , the storage bin and the guide rail being integrally formed together as a single piece part. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the storage bin is supported only by the sliding assembly at any position between a retracted position and an extended position of the storage bin. 
     
     
         12 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet;   a liner defining a compartment within the cabinet;   a storage bin slidably disposed within the compartment at a location above a support surface, the storage bin including a bottom wall; and   a sliding assembly configured to permit the storage bin to slide with respect to the support surface, the sliding assembly comprising:
 a support bracket fixedly secured to the support surface, the support bracket including an elongated channel having opposing arm channel portions, wherein arm guiding surfaces are located in the opposing arm channel portions, respectively; and 
 a guide rail extending downwards from the bottom wall of the storage bin in a vertical direction, the guide rail being located at a central position of the bottom wall of the storage bin with respect to opposing side walls of the storage bin and at least partially disposed within the elongated channel of the support bracket, the guide rail comprising:
 a connector member that is connected to and extends directly from the bottom wall of the storage bin; and 
 opposing arm members that extend outwards and away from the connector member in a horizontal direction with respect to the connector member, each of the opposing arm members being disposed within the opposing arm channel portions, respectively, of the support bracket and configured to engage the arm guiding surfaces located in the opposing arm channel portions, respectively, to slidingly guide the storage bin between a retracted position and an extended position. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , the guide rail further comprising a protrusion that extends outwards and away from the connector member in a horizontal direction with respect to the connector member, the protrusion being disposed at a location between the bottom wall of the storage bin and the opposing arm members, and positioned towards a rear wall of the storage bin. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , the support bracket further comprising a detent member disposed vertically above the elongated channel, the detent member configured to interact with the protrusion of the guide rail such that, as the storage bin moves from the retracted position to the extended position, the detent member physically contacts the protrusion at the extended position and inhibits the storage bin from further extended movement, and the detent member comprising a resilient arm configured to bend outwards and away from the protrusion such that the detent member does not prohibit the storage bin from further extended movement in order to permit removal of the storage bin from the compartment. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , the sliding assembly further comprising a wheel that is rotatably fixed to the connector member of the guide rail and configured to rotate about a horizontal axis, the wheel engaging a wheel guiding surface located in a bottom channel portion of the elongated channel. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the wheel extends a first distance away from the bottom wall of the storage bin, the opposing arm members extend a second distance away from the bottom wall of the storage bin, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the wheel is interposed between the opposing arm members in a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , the storage bin and the guide rail being integrally formed together as a single piece part. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the storage bin is supported only by the sliding assembly at any position between the retracted position and the extended position of the storage bin.