ROTATING AND SEGMENTED SHELVING FOR A REFRIGERATOR

Abstract

A refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving has a cabinet with at least one round internal compartment, a shaft centered within the compartment, and segments connecting to the shaft. The invention may also provide a motor connected to the shaft for rotating it and the shelving. Preferably, the shaft has a square cross section that receives up to four segments in a common plane. The shaft uses connections that receive the segments. Alternatively, the shaft has a round cross section for up to six segments upon a common plane. Each segment has a narrow nose that fits into the connection upon the shaft and an opposite wide edge outwardly towards the cabinet. Alternatively the cabinet or a door is at least partially transparent. A user may arrange shelf segments at different planes, thus accommodating foods and beverages of varying heights.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator generally relates to refrigerator appliances and more specifically to a rotating shelving system. More particularly, the invention has a central motorized shaft that receives the narrow portion of a segment in a cantilever arrangement.

Through the mists of time, people have had to eat. Early on, people hunted game and consumed it immediately. Years later, people would take game to caves, or other cold places, to preserve it. Focusing on cold as a preservation method, people sought ways to manufacture cold, that is, chill food. In the last three centuries, people utilized ice to chill food placed in caves or insulated buildings. Ice houses would harvest ice during winter, store the ice in straw filled warehouses or caves, and place food within the ice. Caves come in many shapes while warehouses have a generally rectangular form with a pitched roof for drainage.

About two centuries ago, Evans and Linde developed compressors that led to mechanical refrigeration. The compressors reduced gas in a system to liquid form so that upon exposure to heat, the liquid expanded into gas cooling an adjacent compartment, and the gas returned to the compressor to repeat the cycle. Early refrigeration utilized large equipment and engines generally fit within or adjacent to warehouse, often rectangular. In the last century, miniaturization and mass production allowed refrigerators to appear in homes, restaurants, and commercial establishments of all description. However, the refrigerators though having many forms, often remained rectangular.

A rectangular refrigerator often includes shelves for storing individual foodstuffs and containers of various heights. The foodstuffs include turkeys and wine bottles of high height to sticks of butter and cookies low of height. Depending on the people who use a refrigerator, typically residential, food and beverage may be stacked or loaded into a refrigerator. Refrigerators typically have a full load upon a person's return from a grocery store. During a full load, a person places food across the shelves in a refrigerator. But then a person withdraws food and beverages from the shelves as needed to make meals. Some foods and beverages begin to linger in the refrigerator. As refrigerators have doors, people access the food and beverage easily within reach. However, food and beverages in the back corners of a refrigerator may linger longer than those near the front and the door. In time, food and beverages spoil. People find them when doing a full cleaning of the refrigerator, often to their surprise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Over the years, people have sought better refrigerators of all description. Manufacturers have provided refrigerators having many features: top freezer, bottom freezer, French doors, side by side doors, various cubic feet sizes, and a host of accessories. However, refrigerators, typically residential, have retained a generally rectangular shape. Following that shape, the shelves within a refrigerator also have a planar rectangular form. Shelves can be in many forms such as tempered glass, wire frame, and polymer. The shelves secure usually upon two or more points from the rear or sides of the refrigerator.

Refrigerators over the years have also had transparent doors such as in supermarket units for frozen foods or in convenience store units for canned and bottled beverages. The doors can be tempered glass or plexiglass®. The refrigerator doors may also include various modes of insulation, typically opaque. However, select transparent doors have insulative capability as well.

Rotating shelving has appeared previously in the prior art such as turnstiles, turn pads, lazy susans, and the like used in kitchen cabinets. The lazy susans may or may not have mechanical power. The lazy susans typically include a disc upon at least three wheels or a three armed frame. The lazy susans allow for display of items upon them by merely turning the disc. Quite often lazy susans appear in a rectangular cabinet of some depth.

The patent to Credle, U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,034, shows an oscillating cooler. This cooler has a plurality of shelves, each supported upon its perimeter but allowed to rotate. The shelves have a toothed edge that engages a set of spaced gears upon a shaft from a rear mounted motor. Though this motor turns the shelves, the shelves do not complete an entire rotation. Thus, this cooler does not provide access to beverages at the rear of the shelves.

The prior art also includes various electronic controls for motors and devices based upon motors, and centrifugal braking mechanisms upon motor shafts and transmissions. Electronics in the prior art also include various screens, label readers, bar code and QR code scanners, RFID sensors and related devices. Present day refrigerators have screens that allow people to control various features.

Existing refrigerators have utilized the skills and knowledge of various disciplines for their construction. Those disciplines include sheet metal working, plastic molding, cabinetry, manufacture of compressors, integrated circuitry, and electronics, programming, glassmaking, screen design, and others.

Though the prior art includes shelving systems, the prior art has shown few instances of round or rounded shelving used within residential refrigerators or commercial refrigerators. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and provides a rotating segmented shelving system that turns to present contents to a user and that allows the user to adjust the shelving vertically. The present invention provides segments of partially arcuate form upon a central shaft that connects to a motor under electrical controls. The present invention accomplishes its goal of presenting refrigerated food and beverages easily to users while minimizing wasted food.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving has a cabinet with at least one round internal compartment, a shaft centered with the compartment, a plurality of segments connecting to the shaft, and journaled connections of the shaft to the cabinet. The invention may also provide a motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft and appurtenant shelving. Preferably, the shaft has a square cross section with four faces that receive up to four segments in a common plane. The shaft uses a pattern of connections that receive the segments. A user may use one, two, three, or four segments upon a common plane. Alternatively, the shaft has a round cross section with a pattern of connections that permits up to six segments in a common plane. Each segment has a narrow nose that fits into the connection upon the shaft and an opposite wide edge positioned outwardly from the shaft, that is, generally towards the cabinet. A user may vary the arrangement of shelf segments at different planes, thus accommodating foodstuffs and beverages of varying heights. In a further alternate embodiment, the invention has a cabinet that accommodates two round compartments each having a central shaft and appurtenant shelving.

The refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving operates as part of a cooling unit for household, commercial, and medical use that has shelving mounted upon a vertical, central rotating shaft, contained within an insulated cabinet. The invention also has insulated transparent doors that allow a user to view contents within the invention. The present invention allows a user to know the contents and location of the contents within the invention without leaning into the refrigerator. The invention allows a user to bring items within the refrigerator to its front for ready viewing, inspection, or use. The invention allows doors to remain closed longer, thus reducing the escape of cooled air from the unit and lessening its energy demand.

The refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving has manual or mechanized rotation of the shelves, preferably about a vertical axis, or alternatively a horizontal axis. The refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving includes an electrical service connection, a water supply for liquid water or ice dispensing, transparent doors, an item scanner, and an information screen. The screen shows the contents within the refrigerator and allows adjustment by a user such as adding items, deleting items, noting expiration dates, other notes, and the like. The screen, or information center, has a wireless connection to the internet so that a user may view the data contained in the information center from any location, such as by a Smartphone or other mobile computing device. The wireless connection allows a user to communicate with the invention remotely such as when the user is at a grocery store, temporarily forgetful of an item on a grocery list. The screen has a small size for its location in the center of a door but a larger size if located in a freezer door. The ice maker and water dispenser may be located in a door or in a central dividing pillar or wall.

The refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving also includes a liquid crystal display for the screen, LED lighting, incandescent lighting. The refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving includes side by side doors preferably. The doors may be transparent or opaque which allows for both doors as transparent, one door transparent and the second door opaque, or both doors as opaque. An opaque door may include an AM/FM/XM radio receiver. In an alternate embodiment, one compartment in the refrigerator, either the upper or the lower compartment does not have rotating shelving which provides support for a rotating second compartment contiguous to it.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. The present invention also includes shelving segments having a cam or ratcheted mechanical connection to the central shaft, four segments for a shelf plane, six segments for a shelf plane, a pattern of slots upon the central shaft receiving the shelf segments, and at least one foot operated lever door opener. The foot lever door opener accommodates and assists a person who has both hands full. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

The present invention has utility from a user controlling rotation of the shelving within a refrigerator. The user then readily views the contents which facilitates foreknowledge or memory of the contents, and allows selection of select contents for consumption. The invention allows a user to rotate the contents and then stop rotation at a desired location. The user then opens a door to find the selected item readily. Rotation of the invention also allows a user to restock the refrigerator. Also, the present invention reduces the energy consumption of a user as the user knows the location of refrigerated items before opening the refrigerator door. This foreknowledge limits the time a user holds the door open while viewing the contents within the refrigerator or searching for them. The door also remains open in prior art refrigerators as people have to move items in the front to see those in the back. The present invention utilizing rotation of its shelving limits the need for a user to reposition items to see them within a refrigerator.

Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

One object of the present invention is to provide rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that secures within a refrigerated case.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that resists water and other substances that spill within a refrigerator.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that saves a user time when viewing the contents and their locations within a refrigerator without having to open an opaque door.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that saves a user time by reducing the effort needed to visually inspect items behind an opaque door.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that saves a user energy by reducing unnecessary door openings and extended door open intervals.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that saves a user energy by reducing the escape of refrigerated air resulting from excessive door openings.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that allows a user to plan restocking of items within the refrigerator without opening it to conduct an inventory.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that allows a user to monitor and to recall a list of items contained within the refrigerator.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that allows a user to monitor the expiration dates of items contained within the refrigerator.

Another object is to provide such rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator that brings items forward from time to time which prevents perishable items—with a short shelf life—going bad as happens when they are located in the back of a refrigerator.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In referring to the drawings,

FIG. 1 provides an isometric view of a refrigerator freezer containing the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of a refrigerator freezer with one door open showing the invention therein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a refrigerator freezer with transparent doors showing the invention therein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a refrigerator freezer with transparent doors and ice maker showing the invention therein;

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a refrigerator freezer with the invention within one compartment;

FIG. 6 provides a front view of a refrigerator freezer with the invention within two compartments;

FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of a refrigerator with the invention within a transparent cabinet refrigerator;

FIG. 7a illustrates a sectional view through the invention within the transparent cabinet refrigerator;

FIG. 8 shows a top sectional view from FIG. 5 showing the position of the invention within one compartment;

FIG. 9 shows a top sectional view from FIG. 6 showing the position of the invention within two compartments;

FIG. 10 shows a top of the invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a partial side view of the invention;

FIG. 12 shows a top sectional view related to FIGS. 6, 9 showing the invention within two compartments; and,

FIG. 13 provides a side view of a segment of the invention.

The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present art overcomes the prior art limitations by providing a refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving having at least one round compartment. FIG. 1 shows a refrigerator from the outside, here in a perspective view. The refrigerator has a cabinet 1 of an upright, generally rectangular form. Though the Applicant also foresees application of this invention to refrigerator cabinets round in shape, this description proceeds upon a rectangular cabinet. The cabinet has a right side 2 and a mutually parallel and spaced apart left side 3. Spanning between the two sides and upwardly in this figure, the refrigerator has a top 4 and a spaced apart, opposite base 5 (not shown). The base is generally downwardly, that is, beneath the contents within a refrigerator. The base includes a catch basin that has a knockout plug for condensate drainage at the option of the installer. Forward of the base, the refrigerator has a kick plate 6 that spans between the sides and extends partly upward from the base about four inches. Generally centered upon the kickplate, a divider 7 extends from the base upwardly to the top and has a mutually parallel and spaced apart back 8 (not shown). The divider has a generally slender shape. The left side, right side, top, base, divider, and back form the structure of the cabinet 1. The cabinet generally operates as the structural shell of the device having a metal frame (not shown) surrounded by prepared coil steel, sheet metal, or polymer, as an outer covering. In an alternate embodiment, the cabinet may have a round shape with a single door or double doors. These alternate embodiments have commercial application for food and medicine and a residential refrigerator in a kitchen island.

Inwardly from the kickplate, the base has two spaced apart hinges (not shown). Each hinge receives a door, here a right door 9 and a mutually parallel and spaced apart left door 10. Each door has a generally rectangular shape with length that noticeably exceeds its width. The length of each door is generally parallel to the height of the cabinet. In this embodiment, the left door opens outwardly upon an axis proximate the left side 3 so that a user reaches within the door proximate the divider. And, the right door opens outwardly upon an axis proximate to the right side 2 also so a user may reach within the door proximate the divider. The left door opens in to a left compartment and the right door does so into a right compartment. Either compartment may be refrigerated or frozen. The doors include an assisted closure through gravity assist, biasing members, and the like. In the frozen compartment, typically on the left, the cabinet 1 has its interior face or wall with grooves or slots for shelving. In an alternate embodiment, the shelving has nylon bearings that fit within the groove.

FIG. 2 shows the refrigerator with rotating and segmented shelving having its right door 9 open, showing the right compartment 11. The right door pivotally connects to the right side 2 upon hinges at the base 5 and the top 4. The top spans from the right side 2 to the left side 3 as previously described. The left side extends from the top to the base 5 and is generally opposite the right side. The base 5 has the kickplate 6 towards the front of the refrigerator, that is, towards the user. The left door also has a control area 12.

The control area 12 has the control panel 12a, scanner 12b, information area 12c or information center, television and radio area 12d, and internet area 12e. The present invention also dispenses water and ice by the control panel 12a utilizing buttons 12f and 12g respectively as later shown in FIG. 4. The control panel operates by the touch of a user who then follows a menu to manage items, following their time or date placed into the refrigerator, such as for first in first out, FIFO usage, their expiration date, or the useful lifespan of an item. Determining the time an item spends within the present invention utilizes the scanner 12b that reads the bar code upon items, alternatively a QR code, and the like. The control panel also includes an alphanumeric digital keypad on the information area 12c, as a touch screen, for a user to input dates and life span of an item without a bar code. This information and the control panel allow a user to manage the contents in the refrigerator without opening a door. The control panel includes a menu with buttons to ENTER an item, DELETE an item, SHOW ALL items, among other functions. The menu also has buttons for noting the desired temperature of an item and for temperature control of the entire refrigerator including both freezer and refrigerator compartments. The freezer compartment is typically self defrosting. The control panel also includes buttons for Right rotation, Left rotation, Continuous rotation, and Stop, in communication with the switchgear and motor as later described. The control area 12 and its components, such as the control panel 12, have a preferred location proximate the center of the left door 10, or the center between the right door and the left door, or an alternate location at the approximate center of the height and the width of the door of the refrigerator compartment when it is above the freezer compartment.

Returning to FIG. 2, the right door 9 has an open orientation, that is, outwardly from the divider 7. With the right door open, the right compartment 11 is visible and shows the refrigerated compartment. Within the refrigerated compartment appears a plurality of shelves 100. Each shelf has a generally rounded shape as shown and a spacing between them selected by the user. The user may adjust the height of an entire shelf or a segment of it by separating it from a shaft 14 as later shown and described. Within the cabinet, it has light emitting diode, or LED, lighting. The lighting provides continuous illumination when the shelving, as at 100, rotates, dimmed illumination when shelving remains fixed but with the door open, low illumination—or no illumination if desired—when the door is closed. The lighting includes a switch being opened by the door closing and a rheostat providing electrical power to illuminate proportional to rotation of the shelving. Alternatively, the control panel allows a user to adjust the illumination.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the cabinet 1 and the transparent doors 9, 10. The cabinet has its generally rectangular structure as defined previously by the top 4, the kickplate 6, the divider 7, the left side 3, and the right side 2. Proximate the left side, the cabinet includes the left door 10 and the right side has the right door 9. However, these doors utilize an insulated, transparent glass, that does not fog, such as that provided by Hussman® of St. Louis, Mo. The doors may have a flat front or a curved front for a round embodiment. Behind each door is a plurality of shelves 100 shown spaced at an arrangement selected by a user. In this embodiment, the divider 7 includes the control area 12 and its components as previously described. This location allows the left door to have a continuous glass form and the wiring and water line to pass in a concealed manner behind the divider. Behind the doors, the shelving connects to the shaft as later described in FIG. 5. The shelving includes one set 100 proximate the base 5. This lowest set of shelving fits within a recess in the bottom of the compartment and forming a flush surface with the remainder of the bottom. This lowest shelving rotates with the remaining shelving while the recess collects drips from within the cabinet.

FIG. 4 shows another alternate embodiment of the cabinet 1 and the doors 9, 10 similar to FIG. 3. This alternate embodiment though has a water dispensing button as at 12f and an ice dispensing button as at 12g beneath the control area 12 as shown. The water dispensing and ice dispensing have an elevation above the kickplate 6 suitable for waist height of the typical user. The water dispensing button and ice dispensing button each operate only upon contact of a cup against either button. Also, the shelving shown here includes one set 100 proximate the base 5. This lowest set of shelving fits within a recess in the bottom of the compartment and forming a flush surface with the remainder of the bottom. This lowest shelving rotates with the remaining shelving while the recess collects drips from within the cabinet.

With both doors removed, FIG. 5 shows the interior of the refrigerator cabinet 1 with a left compartment 13 upon the left of the figure and the right compartment 11 upon the right of the figure. In this embodiment shown, the left compartment provides freezing capability while the right compartment 11 provides cooling or refrigeration to the contents upon the shelves 100 therein. The right compartment has an internal shaft as at 14, generally parallel to the divider 7 and centered within the compartment. The shaft is also parallel to the right side, that is, perpendicular to the top 4 and the base 5. The shaft has two ends, a lower end 14a and an opposite upper end 14b. The lower end 14a has a rotatable connection into a drive mechanism 15 that has an operative connection to an electric motor 16. The drive mechanism includes a gearbox, belt drive, shaft drive, and the like. The gear box reduces the speed of rotation of the shelving 100 by lessening the revolutions per minute of the shaft 14. Doing so lessens the possibility of excess centripetal force ejecting contents from the shelving during its rotation. The gear box and the motor have a generally compact side by side arrangement with the shaft of the motor connecting to the gear box through belts, drive shaft, and the like. Alternatively, the gear box and the motor have a generally coaxial arrangement with the shaft and a position within the base 5. The user generally does not see the gear box and motor as they remain within the mechanical spaces, as at 19. Though this description mentions a gearbox, the Applicant also foresees usage of bearings, speed governors, belts, cams, and the like so that the shelving rotates in a controlled manner. Though a gear box is described, the Applicant foresees other devices for transmitting rotation and torque from the motor to the shaft. The control panel communicates electrically to the gearbox or alternative mechanism and regulates the speed, direction, starting, and stopping of the shelving as selected by a user. Alternatively, shelving revolution may be manually controlled by the user. Though a motor appears in this description, the Applicant also foresees alternate embodiments where a vertical column, as at 14, holds rotating shelves and shelves turned manually.

However, the motor has electrical communication to the control panel where the user controls the direction and speed of rotation along with braking of the shaft. Opposite the lower end, the upper end 14b has a position proximate the top 4. The upper end has a journaled connection, as at 17, to the top so that the shaft may rotate freely in the journal. The journal remains concealed within the cabinet generally proximate the top so that a user does not see it. The gear box, motor, and journaled connection preferably have lifetime lubrication. The top portion of the cabinet also includes a header 4a generally positioned proximate the doors that aids in the concealment of the journaled connection.

The shaft has a pattern of apertures, as at 101, at an interval upon its length. The apertures receive the shelving in a cantilevered arrangement of sufficient shear and bending strength to resist the typical design loads of a refrigerator shelf, such as full milk jugs, or frozen turkeys. Each shelf 100 has a knee 102 that joins to each aperture. The knee provides additional shear and bending resistance to the shelf extending outwardly from the shaft.

Similar to FIG. 5, FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a cabinet 1 with shelving in both the left compartment 13 and the right compartment 11. Each compartment has its controls from the control panel 12 upon the divider 7 between the two compartments. The right compartment has the motor 16, gearbox 15, and shaft 14 as in FIG. 5 with shelving 100 having knees 102 connecting to the pattern of apertures 101. In this embodiment, the left compartment 13 also has a motor 16, gearbox 15, and shaft 14 to which connects shelving 100 having knees 102. The knees of the shelving connect to the pattern of apertures 101. The control panel 12 provides for independent control of the motors 16 and the rotation of the shafts 14 in each compartment. In an alternate embodiment, the refrigerator has one motor 16 operatively connected to both shafts 14 through pulleys, idler pulleys, reversal pulleys, cams, and belts so that the control panel may still operate the shafts independently though upon a common drive motor. Alternatively, the motor may be reversible. In a further alternate embodiment, two motors may be supplied so that each drives one shaft.

Select embodiments of refrigerators may have one compartment only as shown in FIG. 7. The single compartment may be for refrigeration or for freezing. As before, the embodiment has a cabinet 1 with the left side 3, the opposite right side 2, the top 4 between the two sides, and the base 5 opposite the top and between the two sides. The base supports the motor 16 and the gear box 15 generally behind the kick plate 6 (not shown). The motor and the gear box receive the shaft 14 in a generally coaxial manner with the shaft locating in the center of the cabinet and parallel to both sides. The shaft has its plurality of apertures, as at 101, in a pattern along its length. Each shelf 100 then connects its knees 102 to the apertures at a desired height and spacing established by the user. Also, the shelving shown here includes one set 100 proximate the base 5. This lowest set of shelving fits within a recess in the bottom of the compartment and forming a flush surface with the remainder of the bottom. This lowest shelving rotates with the remaining shelving while the recess collects drips from within the cabinet. The motor receives its operating commands from the control panel 12 (not shown) typically located in a door, between two doors, or upon a central column (not shown). This figure can also show an alternate embodiment of the refrigerator being round with a transparent cabinet.

In round form shown from above in FIG. 7a, the cabinet has its left side and right side merged into a round cylinder of transparent material having four doors. This alternate embodiment has two right doors, as at 9a, 9b, and two left doors, as at 10a, 10b. Each door pivotally engages a jamb 25 upon one edge of the two, typically upon two hinges, not shown. Each door has an approximately convex curved shape that extends for ninety degrees of arc. The jambs are generally equally spaced around the circumference of the round cabinet. The shelving 100 also has its round shape that fits within the four doors. And as in before, the shelving 100 joins to the central shaft 14 for rotation by the motor as previously shown and described for FIG. 7.

Having described various embodiments from a front view as a user would see them, FIG. 8 provides a sectional view from the top of the shelves in the single compartment embodiment of FIG. 5 above. As before, the refrigerator has a cabinet 1 with mutually parallel and spaced apart left side 3 and right side 9. The two sides have doors to the front, the left door 10 and the right door 9 (not shown). The left door pivotally connects to the left side as shown. The left door typically contains the control area 12 with its panel 12a and various buttons 12b-e. The left door also includes the water dispensing button 12f and the ice dispensing button 12g. Opposite the left door, the left side joins to the back panel 8. The back panel spans across the width and the height of the refrigerator. The back panel typically lacks any interruption in width. Upon the interior of the left side and the back panel, that is, towards the divider, the left side and the back panel have at least one layer of insulation 18. The insulation extends upon the left side, across the back panel, and then inwardly from the back panel towards the divider defining the left compartment. The refrigerator of the invention generally has the insulation sheathed or sealed within a smooth polymer layer so that the user sees a finished face towards the interior of the left compartment so that the user need not see the raw form of the insulation and not have food contaminated by the insulation. The left compartment has a generally rectangular form in top view.

Opposite the left side, the back panel joins to the right side 9 so that the right side is mutually parallel to the left side. In this embodiment, the right side defines the outermost portion of the right compartment 11 that has the round shelving 100. The right compartment has a nearly square shape in top view so that round shelving fits within the compartment. Outwardly from the shelving, the right compartment has various spaces. Towards the back panel, the right compartment has mechanical areas 19 proximate the left compartment near the back panel and near the right side at the back panel. These somewhat triangular areas provide room for mechanical equipment typical in refrigeration and cooling such as a compressor, an evaporator, metal coils, fan, electrical components, motors, water line, drive belts or chains connected to a drive mechanism. In an alternate embodiment, the compressor air exchange fins and fan have a vertical placement which allows easier servicing of them and more height within the cabinet interior. Opposite the mechanical areas, the right compartment has interior pocket shelves as at 20. These pocket shelves occupy the somewhat triangular areas outside the shelving 100 and adjacent to the right door, that is, towards the front of the right compartment. These pocket shelves have a somewhat rectangular shape proportioned to fit within the area available. The pocket shelves locations are generally behind the door facing and the pocket shelves to the sides of the shelves differ from the prior art pocket shelves located in the interior of a door.

Within the mechanical areas 19 and the interior pocket shelves 20, and within the back panel 8, the right side 9, and the left compartment, FIG. 8 shows the shelving 100. The shelving, as a unit, has a generally round shape and connects to the shaft 14, shown in phantom. Just outwardly from each shelf, the right compartment has a vacant space 21 having a generally annular form with a radius slightly larger than that of the shelving unit. The vacant space 21 provides unobstructed rotation of the shelving when the control panel 12a communicates that command to the motor. Outwardly from the vacant space, the right compartment includes an interior wall 22. The interior wall has a radius slightly larger than that of the vacant space so that its curved shape forms an interior skin, or containment wall, for the shelving 100 of the invention. The interior wall extends around each shelving unit for about 200° so that the interior wall stops short upon the front of the refrigerator, thus providing access for an end user into it. The interior wall may have construction of plastic or glass, being transparent, translucent, or opaque. The shelving itself may have various forms including wire frame, plastic or glass, transparent, translucent, or opaque. This figure shows a translucent plastic though the other materials are foreseen.

FIG. 9 provides a sectional view from the top of the shelves in the single compartment embodiment of FIG. 6 above. As before, the refrigerator has its cabinet 1 with the left side 3, the right side 9, and the left door 10, here shown closed, and the right door 9, here shown open. The left door pivotally connects to the left side as shown and closes upon the divider 7. The left door typically contains the control area 12 with its panel 12a, various buttons 12b-e, water dispensing button 12f, and the ice dispensing button 12g. Opposite the left door, the left side joins to the back panel 8. The back panel spans across the width and the height of the refrigerator. Upon the interior of the left side, the right side, and the back panel, that is, towards the divider, the left side, right side, and back panel have at least one layer of insulation 18. The insulation extends upon the left side and the right side outwardly from the shelving, and across the back panel. The refrigerator of the invention generally has the insulation sheathed or sealed within a smooth polymer layer so that the user sees a finished face towards the interior of the left compartment so that the user need not see the raw form of the insulation and not have food contaminated by the insulation. Further, the insulation upon the bottom of the refrigerator has greater thickness than upon the top and sides of the refrigerator. This embodiment has the left side which defines the outermost portion of the left compartment 13 that has its shelving 100, typically at least partially round. The left compartment has a nearly rectangular shape in top view so that round shelving fits within the compartment. The rectangular shape appears because the shelving of the left compartment has a diameter less than the depth of the refrigerator, that is, the length of the left side. Outwardly from the shelving, the left compartment has various spaces as described below.

Opposite the left side, the back panel joins to the right side 9 so that the right side is mutually parallel to the left side. In this embodiment, the right side defines the outermost portion of the right compartment 11 that has the shelving 100, typically at least partially round. The right compartment has a nearly square shape in top view so that round shelving fits within the compartment. Outwardly from the shelving, the right compartment has various spaces. Towards the back panel, the right compartment has mechanical areas 19 near the right side at the back panel and merging into a larger area behind the shelving in the left compartment. The somewhat triangular area, towards the right side, and the larger area behind the left shelving provide room for mechanical equipment typical in refrigeration and cooling such as a compressor, an evaporator, metal coils, fan, electrical components, motors, water line, drive belts or chains connected to a drive mechanism. Opposite the mechanical areas, the right compartment has interior pocket shelves as at 20 near the right door pivot adjacent to the right side, near the right door closure as shown near the divider 7, near the left door pivot adjacent to the left side, and near the left door closure as shown near the divider 7. These pocket shelves occupy the somewhat triangular areas outside the shelving 100 towards the front of the left compartment and the right compartment. These pocket shelves have a somewhat rectangular shape proportioned to fit within the area available.

Within the mechanical areas 19 and the interior pocket shelves 20, and within the back panel 8, the right side 9, the left side 3, FIG. 9 shows the shelving 100 in both the left compartment 13 and the right compartment 11. Each set of shelving has a generally round shape and connects to the shaft 14, shown in phantom in each compartment. Each set of shelving has an outer rim as at 103 generally upon the perimeter of the shelving. Just outwardly from each shelf, each compartment has a vacant space 21 having a generally annular form with a radius slightly larger than that of the shelving unit. The vacant space 21 provides unobstructed rotation of the shelving when the control panel 12a communicates that command to the motor which turns each of the shafts 14. Outwardly from the vacant space, each compartment includes an interior wall 22. The interior wall has a radius slightly larger than that of the vacant space so that its curved shape forms an interior skin, or containment wall, for the shelving 100 of the invention. The interior wall extends around each shelving unit for about 200° so that the interior wall stops short upon the front of the refrigerator, thus providing access for an end user into it. The interior wall may have construction of plastic or glass, being transparent, translucent, or opaque. The shelving itself may have various forms including wire frame, plastic or glass, transparent, translucent, or opaque. This figure shows a translucent plastic though the other materials are foreseen.

FIG. 10 shows a top view of shelving in one compartment. The shelving 100 forms a generally round unit with the gap 21 and inside of the interior wall 22 as shown. The shelving has its edge 103 and connects to the shaft 14 generally in the center of the shelving. The shaft generally has four faces forming a square cross section. The shelving unit comprises a plurality of segments, here shown as twelve, as at 100a and 100b. The segment that connects to the flat portion of a face is segment 100a while the segment that connects adjacent to a corner of the face is segment 100b. Each segment, 100a, 100b, begins at the edge 103 with a typically 30° arc. From the arc, each segment tapers towards its nose at 100c where the segment has its narrowest width. The nose has a generally flat face that cooperatively engages the face of the shaft 14. As described above, the shelving itself may have various forms including wire frame as at 100d, plastic or glass, transparent, translucent as at 100a, or opaque.

Viewing the shelving 100 from its edges 103, FIG. 11 shows the connection of the segments 100a, 100b to the internal shaft 14. The shaft includes a pattern of slots as at 101. The slots though have a paired relationship, as at 101a, 101b. Each pair of slots is spaced apart from the adjacent pair at a convenient interval of several inches for the user, typically one to eight inches, as at 101c. Each slot has a narrow rectangular shape with its longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the length of the internal shaft and its lateral axis, the shorter of the two axes, perpendicular to the shaft's length. Each slot has sufficient length to admit a knee 102 of each segment 100a, 100b. The paired relationship of the slots limits axial rotation of the segments because of off balance loading of a segment.

Within the mechanical areas 19 and the interior pocket shelves 20, and within the back panel 8, the right side 9, the left side 3, FIG. 12 provides an alternate embodiment with shelving 100 of the same diameter in both the left compartment 13 and the right compartment 11. Each set of shelving has a generally round shape and connects to the shaft 14, shown sectioned, generally in the center of each compartment. Each set of shelving has an outer rim as at 103 generally upon the perimeter of the shelving. Just outwardly from each shelf, each compartment has a vacant space 21, or gap, having a generally annular form with a radius slightly larger than that of the shelving unit. The vacant space 21 provides unobstructed rotation of the shelving when the control panel 12a communicates that command to the motor which turns each of the shafts 14. Outwardly from the vacant space, each compartment includes an interior wall 22. The interior wall has a radius slightly larger than that of the vacant space so that its curved shape forms an interior skin, or containment wall, for the shelving 100 of the invention. Each interior wall extends around each shelving unit for about 200° so that the interior wall stops short upon the front of the cabinet 1, thus providing access for an end user into it. The interior wall may have construction of plastic or glass, being transparent, translucent, or opaque. The shelving itself may have various forms including wire frame as at 100a, plastic or glass, transparent, translucent as at 100d, or opaque as at 100e. This figure shows a is translucent plastic though the other materials are foreseen. The left compartment 13 operates to freeze its contents while the right compartment 11 provides refrigeration to its contents.

And FIG. 13 shows a side view of a segment 100a, 100b with its knee 102 in more detail. Each knee in the invention has a generally triangular shaped web 104 oriented perpendicular to the plane of the segment, that is, parallel to the internal shaft 14 when installed as shown previously. The web has one edge, an arm 105, adjacent to the segment, and another edge, a spine 106, perpendicular to the arm. The arm and the spine generally extend from a common vertex. Opposite the vertex and spanning between the arm and the spine, the web has its hypotenuse 107. The web, spine, and hypotenuse extend slightly outwardly from the segment as shown. This extension allows the spine of each web to fit into a corresponding slot for securing the segment to the shaft.

The hypotenuse merges with the spine at a toe 108 opposite the vertex. The spine 106 continues away from the toe towards the vertex and has a neck 109. The neck follows the direction of the spine but narrows in width, forming a small peninsula of material outwardly from the web. The neck has a small gap, as at 110, from the remainder of the web. During installation of a segment, a user tilts the shelf upward, slightly, so that the neck enters the slot upwardly, that is, away from the motor and then lowers the shelf gently down until the shelf becomes perpendicular to the internal shaft. The spine has sufficient length to fit into a slot snuggly so that the neck engages the interior of the shaft and prevents the segment from rotating towards the shaft downwardly when loaded with foodstuffs. In an alternate embodiment, the toe also has a gap 110 utilized for securing the knee 102 to the shaft 14 at an aperture 101.

In kitchens everywhere, the present invention allows a user to find contents within the cabinet, seeing them through a transparent door or the cabinet itself, or as the shelving rotates past the user at the speed and direction selected by the user. The user commands the speed and direction of rotation through the control panel 12, or alternatively in manual mode. In the manual mode, the control panel disengages from communicating to the motor and the gearbox thus allowing movement of the shelving separately from the motor drive, or in a free style manner.

The preceding description mentions and shows a rectangular refrigerator as commonly deployed. The Applicant notes that the cabinet may have various exterior dimensions and interior spaces for configurations that meet the needs and the preferences of users. The cabinet dimensions also fit various locations, such as upon countertops to assist those in wheelchairs, counter height cabinets openable by those in wheelchairs, and other heights to assist users of various heights. The invention may also have a horizontal form with wider shelves arranged in a shorter height cabinet.

From the aforementioned description, rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator has been described. The rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator is uniquely capable of adjusting in height upon a central shaft and rotating with the shaft under motorized control. The cabinet may be constructed of various materials including metals, polymers, glass, woods, ceramics, singly or in combination as selected by the end user within manufacturing guidelines. The rotating and segmented shelving for a refrigerator and its various components may be manufactured from many materials, including but not limited to, vinyl, polymers, such as nylon, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, ferrous and non-ferrous metal foils, their alloys, and composites.

Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments have been described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments.

Various operations have been described as multiple discrete operations, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention, however, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation.

Moreover, in the specification and the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” “third” and the like—when they appear—are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Therefore, the claims include such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for refrigerating foods and beverages therein, the apparatus rotating the foods and beverages therein for viewing by a user outwardly of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a cabinet, generally hollow and elongated, having a base, at least one compartment above said base, at least one side perpendicular to said base, at least one transparent door upon said at least one side, and said at least one side having a height above said base;

a shaft centered within said at least one compartment, said shaft extending upwardly and perpendicular to said base, said shaft having a pattern of apertures thereon, said pattern having a unit of at least two apertures, said unit being repeated in said pattern at an interval thereon;

at least one segment connecting to one of said units, said at least one segment extending perpendicular to said shaft and generally parallel to said base, said at least one segment having a nose installed towards said shaft, an arcuate edge opposite said nose, and shelving joining to said nose and said edge;

wherein a user places foodstuffs and beverages upon said at least one segment and said shaft turns and thus is adapted to rotate the foods and beverages upon said at least one segment for viewing by the user.

2. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

said cabinet having a top, generally opposite said base and upon said at least one side;

said shaft being parallel to the height of the cabinet;

at least one motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism;

said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism and said upper end connecting to said top wherein said drive mechanism rotates said shaft and said shaft is adapted to turn so that foods and beverages thereon avoid tipping.

3. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

said nose having at least one knee, said at least one knee having a generally triangular shaped web oriented parallel to said internal shaft, said web having an edge, an arm adjacent to said at least one segment, another edge, a spine perpendicular to said arm, said arm and said spine extending from a common vertex, a hypotenuse opposite said vertex and spanning between said arm and said spine, said web, said spine, and said hypotenuse extending slightly outwardly from said segment wherein said spine fits into one of said apertures upon said shaft, said hypotenuse merging with said spine at a toe opposite said vertex, said spine having a neck away from said toe narrower than said toe and a gap between said neck and said web wherein said neck enters one of said apertures upon said shaft and remains within said shaft preventing said at least one segment from rotating outwardly from said shaft; and,

said shelving being generally planar, having a somewhat triangular shape with a narrow portion of the shape towards said nose and a wide portion of said shape towards said edge, and having two spaced apart radial ridges extending from said nose to said edge, said ridges being adapted to prevent foods and beverages from sliding upon said shelving.

4. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said shelving is one of wire frame, transparent polymer, translucent polymer, opaque polymer, tempered glass, or ferrous metal.

5. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

at least three shelves, each of said shelves including at least four of said segments, each of said shelves being spaced along said shaft.

6. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

at least three shelves, each of said shelves including at least six of said segments, each of said shelves being spaced apart.

7. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 3 further comprising

said cabinet having two compartments, each of said compartments having said shaft and at least one of said segments.

8. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

said two compartments including a left compartment and a right compartment;

one of said left compartment or said right compartment including said at least one motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism, said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism and said upper end connecting to a top of said cabinet wherein said drive mechanism rotates said shaft.

9. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

said left compartment including a motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism, said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism, and said upper end connecting to a top of said cabinet wherein said drive mechanism rotates said shaft; and,

said right compartment including a motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism, said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism, and said upper end connecting to a top of said cabinet wherein said rotates drive mechanism said shaft.

10. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

said drive mechanism being one of belt drive, shaft drive, and a gearbox.

11. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

said cabinet having a control panel;

said control panel including an input screen, a bar code scanner, a QR code scanner, and a wireless internet connection;

said input screen accepting information from a user for management of foods and beverages placed therein, said input screen including a plurality of buttons for user input of information including entry dates, expiration dates, said buttons including alphanumeric characters;

said bar code scanner detecting information about an item for placement within said cabinet;

said QR code scanner detecting information about an item for placement within said cabinet; and,

wherein said wireless internet connection is adapted to communicate with other separate devices.

12. An apparatus for refrigerating foods and beverages therein, the apparatus rotating the foods and beverages therein for viewing by a user, the apparatus comprising:

a cabinet, generally hollow and elongated, having at least one compartment therein, a base below said compartment, a top above said compartment and spaced away from said base, at least one side perpendicular to said base, at least one transparent door, and said at least one side having a height above said base;

at least one motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism;

at least one shaft centered within said at least one compartment, said shaft extending upwardly and perpendicular to said base and being parallel to the height of the cabinet, said shaft having a pattern of apertures thereon, said pattern having a unit of at least two apertures, said unit being repeated in said pattern at an interval thereon, said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism and said upper end connecting to said top wherein said drive mechanism rotates said shaft and said shaft is adapted to turn so that foods and beverages thereon avoiding tipping;

at least one segment connecting to one of said units, said at least one segment extending perpendicular to said shaft and generally parallel to said base, said at least one segment having a nose installed towards said shaft, an arcuate edge opposite said nose, and shelving joining to said nose and said edge; and,

said control panel including an input screen, a bar code scanner, a QR code scanner, and a wireless internet connection, said input screen accepting information from a user for management of foods and beverages placed therein, said input screen including a plurality of buttons for user input of information including entry dates, expiration dates, said buttons including alphanumeric characters, said bar code scanner detecting information about an item for placement within said cabinet, said QR code scanner detecting information about an item for placement within said cabinet, wherein said wireless internet connection is adapted to communicate with other separate devices; and,

wherein a user places foodstuffs and beverages upon said at least one segment and said shaft turns and thus is adapted to rotate the foods and beverages thereon for viewing by the user.

13. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

said drive mechanism being one of belt drive, shaft drive, and a gearbox.

14. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

said cabinet having a rectangular shape, a left door and a right door, and one of said left door and said right door being transparent.

15. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

said cabinet having a rectangular shape, a transparent left door and a transparent right door.

16. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

said cabinet having two of said compartments including a left compartment and a right compartment;

one of said left compartment or said right compartment including said at least one motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism, said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism and said upper end connecting to a top of said cabinet wherein said drive mechanism rotates said shaft.

17. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

said cabinet having two of said compartments including a left compartment and a right compartment;

said left compartment including a motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism, said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism, and said upper end connecting to a top of said cabinet wherein said drive mechanism rotates said shaft; and,

said right compartment including a motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism, said shaft having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism, and said upper end connecting to a top of said cabinet wherein said rotates drive mechanism said shaft.

18. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

said cabinet having a generally round shape and one compartment, and three equally spaced transparent doors hingedly connecting to said top.

19. The refrigerating apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

said cabinet having a generally round shape and one compartment, and four equally spaced transparent doors hingedly connecting to said top.

20. An apparatus for refrigerating foods and beverages therein, the apparatus rotating the foods and beverages therein for display to a user, the apparatus comprising:

a round transparent cabinet, generally hollow and elongated, having a base, a compartment above said upon, one round side defining a generally cylindrical shape of said compartment, at least one transparent door hingedly connecting to said side, a top opposite said base, and said side having a height above said base;

a motor positioned within said base and operatively connected to a drive mechanism, said drive mechanism being one of belt drive, shaft drive, and a gearbox;

a shaft centered within said compartment, said shaft extending upwardly and perpendicular to said base and parallel to the height of said side, and having a lower end and an opposite upper end, said lower end operatively connecting to said drive mechanism and said upper end connecting to said top wherein said drive mechanism rotates said shaft and said shaft is adapted to turn so that foods and beverages thereon avoiding tipping;

said shaft having a pattern of apertures thereon, said pattern having a unit of at least two apertures, said unit being repeated in said pattern at an interval thereon;

at least one segment connecting to one of said units, said at least one segment extending perpendicular to said shaft and generally parallel to said base, said at least one segment having a nose installed towards said shaft, an arcuate edge opposite said nose, and shelving joining to said nose and said edge, said shelving being generally planar of a somewhat triangular shape with a narrow portion of the shape towards said nose and a wide portion of said shape towards said edge, and having two spaced apart radial ridges extending from said nose to said edge, said ridges being adapted to prevent foods and beverages from sliding upon said shelving, said shelving being one of wire frame, transparent polymer, translucent polymer, opaque polymer, tempered glass, or ferrous metal; and,

said base having a control panel, said control panel including an input screen, a bar code scanner, a QR code scanner, and a wireless internet connection, said input screen accepting information from a user for management of foods and beverages placed therein, said input screen including a plurality of buttons for user input of information including entry dates, expiration dates, said buttons including alphanumeric characters, said bar code scanner detecting information about an item for placement within said cabinet, said QR code scanner detecting information about an item for placement within said cabinet, wherein said wireless internet connection is adapted to communicate with other separate devices; and,

wherein a user places foodstuffs and beverages upon said at least one segment and said shaft turns.