Refrigeration – With repair – assembly or disassembly means – Sliding or rolling on guide means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-28
2001-09-04
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With repair, assembly or disassembly means
Sliding or rolling on guide means
C062S258000, C062S441000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282914
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to refrigeration units and, more particularly, to refrigeration units used in environments with limited floor space and which also require relatively large counter top work areas.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most laboratories, biomedical institutions, and testing laboratories have limited, and sometimes insufficient, temperature controlled storage space available for refrigerated storage of laboratory materials such as biological specimens. One reason for this lack of temperature controlled storage space, is that these facilities have limited floor space and require large counter top work areas. Typical refrigeration units occupy substantial quantities of either floor or counter top space making installation of additional refrigeration units at the facilities an inadequate solution, and because the materials cannot be transported relatively long distances back and forth between a storage unit and a work area without compromising the materials or unacceptable inconvenience, installation of refrigeration units at remote locations in or near the facilities is also an inadequate solution. Thus, providing additional and conveniently located temperature controlled storage space without diminishing the useable amount of floor space and counter top work area is desirable to increase facilities temperature controlled storage capacity while supporting additional laboratory personnel.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is, therefore, provided in the practice of the invention a novel refrigeration unit, which is slidably mounted underneath a laboratory counter, providing conveniently located, temperature controlled storage space for laboratory materials. The refrigeration unit includes a refrigerator cabinet defining an interior cavity for storing laboratory materials. A refrigeration system is provided to control the temperature in the interior cavity, and a slide mechanism is operably coupled with the refrigerator cabinet to slide the refrigerator cabinet between a stored position under a counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top.
In a preferred embodiment, the refrigeration unit also includes a support frame for being fixedly mounted under a counter top, and the slide mechanism is operably coupled to both the support frame and the refrigerator cabinet; so that the refrigerator cabinet slides relative to the support frame between the stored and accessible positions. A lid is also provided, and an opening mechanism openably couples the lid with the open top of the refrigerator cabinet. Preferably, the opening mechanism automatically opens the lid when the refrigerator cabinet is being moved to the accessible position. The opening mechanism includes a pair of opposed forward flanges and a pair of opposed rearward flanges. Each flange defines a slot having a forward upper end and a rearward lower end. Four pins extend from the sides of the lid and are slidably received in the slots, so that the lid moves to an upper open position when the refrigerator cabinet is moved forwardly toward the accessible position. An alignment catch extends downwardly from the lid and engages the rear of the refrigerator cabinet, and as the refrigerator cabinet slides rearwardly towards the stored position, the catch forces the lid to move to a lower closed position. Preferably, a biasing member engages the lid and biases the lid toward the open position.
The slide mechanism preferably comprises a plurality of drawer slides, and an anti-racking assembly is interposed between the support frame and the refrigerator cabinet to inhibit rotation of the refrigerator cabinet relative to the support frame. The support frame has a frame bottom which is higher than the bottom of the refrigerator cabinet, leaving an open toe kick space below the refrigerator cabinet.
The above-described refrigeration unit is preferably used in combination with a laboratory counter including a counter top work surface and a support body holding the work surface above a floor to define an open area under the work surface. The support frame is fixedly mounted under the counter top in the open area, and the refrigerator cabinet is substantially entirely under the counter top when it is in the stored position. When the automatic lid opening mechanism is utilized, a substantial portion of the lid is still under the counter top when the lid is in the open position. The laboratory counter also includes a back wall, and the refrigeration system is positioned between the back wall and the refrigerator cabinet. The front of the refrigerator unit includes an air intake adjacent a side of the refrigerator cabinet. Air is exhausted at the support frame bottom through the toe kick space.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved under the counter refrigeration unit for providing additional temperature controlled storage space without sacrificing counter top work area or floor space.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved under the counter refrigeration unit in combination with a laboratory counter.
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Betke, Jr. William C.
Narehood Abraham Charles
Steinhoff Paul Matthew
Doerrler William
Pepper Hamilton LLP
Shulman Mark
SPX Corporation
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