IP Library Granted Patent US 8,646,444
Granted Patent B2
US 8,646,444 · App. 11/691,633 · Granted Feb 11, 2014

Glide rack

Inventors: Daniel Wayne Williams (White House, TN); Jason Paul Norberg (Nashville, TN); Bryan Thomas Phillips (Hendersonville, TN); Julie Anne Robinson (Portland, TN); Timothy Paul Doyal (Goodlettsville, TN); Jeffrey A. Ambrose (Evansville, IN); Jason Robert Yochum (Princeton, IN)
Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,646,444
App. No.
11/691,633
Granted
Feb 11, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A rack for an appliance includes a main section having a support frame, and an arm coupled to the support frame and movable relative to the support frame between a first position and a second position. In one example, the arm is movable towards the first position and is configured for engagement with a stop portion of an appliance cavity for inhibiting removal of the main section therefrom. In another example, the appliance cavity includes at least one stop portion, and the arm is movable towards engagement with the stop portion for inhibiting removal of the main section from the appliance cavity.

Claims (33)

1. A rack for an appliance, including: a main section having a support frame; an arm coupled to the support frame and positioned at a front half of the rack, the arm pivotable relative to the support frame between a first position and a second position, the arm being configured to pivot towards the first position and to engage a stop portion of an appliance cavity for inhibiting removal of the main section therefrom, wherein the stop portion is positioned at a front half of the appliance cavity;

a release member coupled to the support frame and operatively connected to the arm, actuation of the release member causing the arm to move from the first position to the second position, the release member comprising an input member for moving the release member relative to the arm for actuation; and

an auxiliary section having an auxiliary platform area and adapted to be slidably coupled to the main section so as to move relative to each of the support frame, the arm and the release member, between a retracted position and an extended position.

2. The rack of claim 1 , wherein the arm is adapted to engage a projection attached to a portion of a guide rail of an appliance when the arm is in the first position.

3. The rack of claim 1 , wherein the arm is resiliently biased towards the first position.

4. The rack of claim 1 , wherein the release member includes a link member and the arm includes a cam groove, movement of the link member within the cam groove causing the arm to move from the first position to the second position.

5. The rack of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary section is slidably coupled to the main section by a pair of telescoping slides.

6. The rack of claim 1 , further including a control member operatively connected to the auxiliary section, the control member being movable with the auxiliary section for actuating the release member, actuation of the release member causing the arm to move towards the first position.

7. An appliance, including:

an appliance cavity having a pair of sidewalls, each sidewall having a guide rail formed therein, the guide rail including at least one stop portion positioned at a front half of the appliance cavity; and

a rack for supporting items within the appliance cavity, including:

a main section having a support frame adapted to be supported by the guide rails;

an arm coupled to the support frame and movable relative to the support frame, the arm being movable towards engagement with the stop portion for inhibiting removal of the main section from the appliance cavity;

a release member coupled to the support frame and operatively connected to the arm, actuation of the release member causing the arm to disengage from the stop portion, the release member comprising an input member for moving the release member relative to the arm for actuation; and

an auxiliary section having an auxiliary platform area and adapted to be slidably coupled to the main section so as to move relative to each of the support frame, the arm and the release member, between a retracted position and an extended position.

8. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein the stop portion includes a projection attached to a sidewall.

9. The appliance of claim 8 , wherein the projection is attached to a portion of a guide rail.

10. The appliance of claim 8 , wherein the arm is pivotally coupled to the support frame for movement between a first position and a second position, the arm being resiliently biased towards the first position for engagement with the projection.

11. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein the release member includes a link member and the arm includes a cam groove, movement of the link member within the cam groove causing the arm to disengage from the stop portion.

12. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein the arm is movable between a first position and a second position, the appliance further including a cam portion preceding the stop portion such that, during insertion of the rack into the appliance cavity, the cam portion is configured to automatically move the arm away from the first position and towards the second position, whereupon passage of the arm beyond the cam portion permits the arm to be resiliently biased back towards the first position.

13. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein the auxiliary section is slidably coupled to the main section by a pair of telescoping slides.

14. The appliance of claim 7 , further including a control member operatively connected to the auxiliary section, the control member being movable with the auxiliary section for actuating the release member, actuation of the release member causing the arm to engage the stop portion.

15. An appliance, including;

an appliance cavity having a pair of sidewalls, each sidewall having a guide rail formed therein, the guide rail including at least one stop portion positioned at a front half of the appliance cavity; and

a rack for supporting items within the appliance cavity, including:

a main section having a support frame adapted to be supported by the guide rails;

an auxiliary section having an auxiliary platform area, the auxiliary section being adapted to be slidably coupled to the main section for movement along a first axis between a retracted position and an extended position;

an arm coupled to the support frame and pivotable relative to the support frame about a second axis generally orthogonal to the first axis, the arm being movable away from the main section and towards engagement with the stop portion for inhibiting removal of the main section from the appliance cavity, and

a release member coupled to the support frame and operatively connected to the arm, actuation of the release member causing the arm to pivot about the second axis towards the main section to thereby disengage the arm from the stop portion, the release member comprising an input member for moving the release member relative to the arm for actuation; wherein the auxiliary section is movable along the first axis relative to each of the support frame, the arm and the release member, between the retracted position and the extended position.

16. The appliance of claim 15 , wherein the release member includes a link member and the arm includes a cam groove, movement of the link member within the cam groove causing the arm to pivot about the second axis.

17. The appliance of claim 15 , further including a control member operatively connected to the auxiliary section, the control member being movable with the auxiliary section for actuating the release member, actuation of the release member causing the arm to engage the stop portion.

18. The appliance of claim 15 , wherein the arm is resiliently biased away from the main section and towards engagement with the stop portion.

19. The appliance of claim 15 , wherein the stop portion includes a projection attached to a sidewall.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 9, 2024
From: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.
To: ELECTROLUX CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 068255/0550 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: SSW HOLDING COMPANY, LLC
To: SSW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 058528/0698 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2021
From: SSW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 058261/0546 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2018
From: SSW HOLDING COMPANY, INC.
To: SSW HOLDING COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 046091/0476 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2018
From: SSW INTERMEDIARY LLC; SSW HOLDING COMPANY, LLC; SOUTHERN STEEL & WIRE, LLC; STRAITS STEEL AND WIRE, LLC; AMERICAN APPLIANCE PRODUCTS, LLC; COLLIS, LLC; SSW PREMIER, LLC; SSW REALTY KENTUCKY, L.L.C.; SSW REALTY IOWA, L.L.C.; COLLIS DE MEXICO, LLC; ALABAMA WIRE PRODUCTS, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 045629/0272 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2014
From: AMBROSE, JEFFREY A.; YOCHUM, JASON ROBERT
To: SSW HOLDING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 031960/0560 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2007
From: WILLIAMS, DANIEL WAYNE; NORBERG, JASON PAUL; PHILLIPS, BRYAN THOMAS; ROBINSON, JULIE ANNE; DOYAL, TIMOTHY PAUL
To: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 019070/0064 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20080237166A1 · Oct 2, 2008