Storage system for refrigerators and other storage units and a method of using the storage system

Abstract

A storage system for refrigerators and other storage units and a method of using the storage system. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 
     
         1 . A holder system for keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer, said holder system comprising:
 a holder, said holder comprising slots configured to hold ziplock-type bags, such as sealable plastic bags with a two-part strip comprising an interlocking groove and ridge that form a tight seal when pressed together along the opening which can be pressed together and readily reopened;   said holder being configured to be disposed in said cooling apparatus;   said holder being configured to be disposed such that said ziplock-type bags, upon putting an item therein, hang from said holder upon being disposed in said holder;   slots being disposed substantially horizontally in said holder and configured to accept said ziplock-type bags by said slots comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, substantially vertically disposed below said upper portion;   an opening in said upper portion of said slot being wider than an opening in said lower portion of said slot to permit an upper portion of said ziplock-type bags being admitted and held in said upper portion of said shot by said lower portion of said slots; and   said lower portion being narrower than said upper portion in order to prevent said upper portion of said ziplock-type bags with the locking arrangement from entering said narrower lower portion of said slots.   
     
     
         2 . The holder system for keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 1 , wherein said slots are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         3 . The holder system for keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 2 , wherein said slots are disposed so that lengths of said slots are disposed directly toward a user when inserting and withdrawing said bags. 
     
     
         4 . The holder system for keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 3 , wherein said slots are disposed so that lengths of said slots are disposed obliquely toward a user. 
     
     
         5 . The holder system for keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 4 , wherein said holder comprises extension side rails mounted to permit said holder to be pulled out and pushed into said first portion of said cooling apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . A method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 5 , said method comprising:
 obtaining a cooling apparatus comprising a condenser, an evaporator and a source of energy to permit cooling of said evaporator, which cooling apparatus comprises a housing having two portions, a first configured to hold said cooling apparatus and a second configured to hold said items to be cooled and a closing arrangement configured to keep cooled air in said second portion of said cooling apparatus and cooling said items to be cooled;   said first portion being configured to hold said evaporator and said source of energy to permit cooling of said evaporator;   said housing comprising walls to contain at least said first portion;   said second portion of said cooling apparatus comprising said cooling portion comprising an arrangement to hold items to be cooled in said cooling portion;   said second portion of said cooling apparatus comprising inner walls configured to contain cooling air within said second portion of said cooling apparatus;   disposing said holder in said housing second portion configured to hold said items to be cooled;   disposing said holder on a surface in said second portion such that said ziplock-type bags, upon putting an item therein, hang from said holder upon being disposed in said holder;   disposing said slots substantially horizontally and configured to accept said ziplock-type bags by said slots which comprise an upper portion and also a lower portion each, substantially vertically disposed;   disposing said ziplock-type bags in an opening in said upper portion being wider than an opening in said lower portion to permit an upper portion of said ziplock-type bags permitting a locking portion of said ziplock-type bags to be admitted and held by said holder while said lower portion of said slots being narrower than said upper portion;   preventing said upper portion of said ziplock-type bags to be hanged from entering said narrower lower portion of said slots; and connecting said source of energy to a source of power.   
     
     
         7 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 6 , wherein said method further comprises the steps of:
 A) filling said bags with said items by   B) placing a bag on a concaved portion of the end of said filler and   C) sliding at least one item into said placed bag;   D) removing said placed bag from said end of said filler;   E) closing and sealing said bag;   F) sliding said filled bag in a slot in said holder in said first portion of said cooling apparatus and   G) cooling said items in said filled bag.   
     
     
         8 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 7 , wherein said method further comprises the step of repeating said steps A through G. 
     
     
         9 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 8 , including said slots substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 9 , including disposing said slots so that lengths of said slots are disposed directly toward a user when inserting and withdrawing said bags. 
     
     
         11 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 10 , including disposing said slots so that lengths of said slots are disposed obliquely toward a user; and inserting and withdrawing said bags into and from said slots. 
     
     
         12 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 11 , including mounting said holder extension side rails to said holder and said cooling apparatus and permitting said holder to be pulled out and pushed into said first portion of said cooling apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 said holder includes a handle configured to permit said holder to be pulled out of said cooling apparatus and permit said bags to be inserted and pulled out of said holder; and   said method further comprises the steps:
 pulling said holder out of and pushing said holder back into said cooling apparatus; 
 putting said bags into said slots; and 
 removing said bags from said slots. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 13 , wherein said method further includes:
 subsequent to at least partially filling said bags, pushing said bags into a freezer tray with divided individual portions and dividing the item in said pushed bag and the filling into individual portions and forming individual portions in the at least partially filled bag and freezing said bag filled with individual portions;   sliding said frozen filled bag into a slot in said holder;   storing said frozen filled bag in said cooling portion of said cooling apparatus;   removing said frozen filled bag from its slot in said holder;   removing at least one of said individual portions;   replacing the now partially filled bag with remaining individual portions therein into a slot in said holder.   
     
     
         15 . A method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer, said method comprising:
 obtaining a cooling apparatus comprising a condenser, an evaporator and a source of energy to permit cooling of said evaporator;   a housing having two portions, a first configured to hold said cooling apparatus and a second configured to hold said items to be cooled;   a door to hold cooled air in said second portion;   apparatus to open and close said second portion;   a holder comprising slots configured to hold ziplock-type bags, such as sealable plastic bags with a two-part strip comprising an interlocking groove and ridge that form a tight seal when pressed together along the opening which can be pressed together and readily reopenable;   said holder being disposed in said housing second portion configured to hold said items to be cooled;   said holder being disposed on a surface in said second portion such that said ziplock-type bags, upon putting an item therein, hang from said holder upon being disposed in said holder;   said slots being disposed substantially horizontally and configured to accept said ziplock-type bags by said slots comprising an upper portion and also a lower portion each, substantially vertically disposed;   an opening in said upper portion being wider than an opening in said lower portion to permit an upper portion of said ziplock-type bags permitting a locking portion of said ziplock-type bags to be admitted and held by said holder while said lower portion of said slots being narrower than said upper portion;   preventing said upper portion of said ziplock-type bags to be hanged from entering said narrower lower portion of said slots;   said second portion of said cooling apparatus comprising said cooling portion comprising an arrangement to hold items to be cooled in said cooling portion;   a closing arrangement configured to keep cooled air in said second portion of said cooling apparatus and cooling said items to be cooled; and   said first portion being configured to hold said evaporator and said source of energy to permit cooling of said evaporator.   
     
     
         16 . The method of keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 15 , wherein said method further comprises the steps of:
 A) filling said bags with said items by   B) placing a bag on a concaved portion of the end of a filler and   C) sliding at least one item into said placed bag;   D) removing said placed bag from said end of said filler;   E) closing and sealing said bag;   F) sliding said filled bag in a slot in said holder in said first portion of said cooling apparatus and   G) cooling said items in said filled bag; and repeating said steps A through G.   
     
     
         17 . The holding system for keeping items cool in a cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator or freezer according to  claim 1 , wherein said ziplock-type bags comprising corners adjacent said locking portion being abbreviated and permitting said ziplock-type bags to be guided into said slots without substantial resistance from said slots.