Shelf assembly for a cooling device and cooling device having the shelf assembly

Abstract

A shelf assembly for a cooling device having a storage compartment with an inner liner, includes a shelf panel with mutual bracket structures for attaching a movable drawer defining a storage cavity, to the shelf panel. Each of the bracket structures includes a connection bracket for fixing the shelf assembly to the inner liner, a carrier bracket formed with more than one engagement portion laterally spaced from one another, and a fixing bracket connected to a lower surface of the shelf panel facing the storage cavity and having more than one receiving recess so as to receive the corresponding engagement portions. A cooling device including the shelf assembly is also provided.

1 . A shelf assembly for a cooling device having a storage compartment with an inner liner, the shelf assembly comprising:
 a shelf panel having a pair of bracket structures for attaching a movable drawer to said shelf panel, the movable drawer defining a storage cavity, and said shelf panel having a lower surface facing toward said storage cavity;   each of said bracket structures including a connection bracket for fixing the shelf assembly to the inner liner, a carrier bracket formed with more than one engagement portion laterally spaced apart from one another, and a fixing bracket connected to said lower surface of said shelf panel, said fixing bracket having more than one receiving recess for receiving said engagement portions corresponding to said more than one receiving recess.   
     
     
         2 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said engagement portions includes an inclined front wall configured to be inserted into a suspension slot formed in said fixing bracket, an inclined rear wall corresponding to said receiving recess, a seating protrusion extending from an upper wall facing said fixing bracket and a tilting recess adjacent to said seating protrusion. 
     
     
         3 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said carrier bracket is formed with a guiding channel disposed as a longitudinally extending channel in which respective attachment devices of the drawer are positioned, permitting the drawer to slidably move between a closed position in which said shelf panel entirely covers an access opening of the drawer and an open position in which said storage cavity is accessible from outside of the drawer. 
     
     
         4 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein said guiding channel includes more than one contact region formed as a series of edge protrusions extending towards the drawer. 
     
     
         5 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein said carrier bracket includes more than one retaining protrusion facing said guiding channel, and each said retaining protrusion extends perpendicularly to a movement plane in which the drawer can slide. 
     
     
         6 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said carrier bracket has a wall, a longitudinal protrusion is disposed on said wall of said carrier bracket, said longitudinal protrusion is shaped and sized to correspond to a retaining groove formed in said fixing bracket, and said retaining groove has a substantially C-shaped cross-section and is configured to extend along said longitudinal protrusion. 
     
     
         7 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said fixing bracket has an end opposite to said connection bracket, said carrier bracket has an end provided with an abutment member, and said opposite end of said fixing bracket abuts against said abutment member. 
     
     
         8 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein said abutment member and said fixing bracket have substantially equal thicknesses. 
     
     
         9 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein said carrier bracket includes a locking ramp disposed at said end of said carrier bracket having said abutment member, and said locking ramp has an inclined surface projecting towards said abutment member. 
     
     
         10 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said carrier bracket has mutually opposite upper and bottom walls and more than one uniformly formed reinforcement rib, and said more than one reinforcement rib includes reinforcement ribs closer to said locking ramp having a substantially triangular cross-section for providing strength between said upper wall and said bottom wall. 
     
     
         11 . The shelf assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said carrier bracket includes a stopping hook to be coupled to a lateral surface of the drawer. 
     
     
         12 . A cooling device, comprising the shelf assembly according to  claim 1 .