Description:The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

Field of the invention
[0001] This disclosure relates to at least one convertible storage bin in a household appliance.

Background of the invention
[0002] In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus for storing objects to be kept in a fresh state for a long period of time using cool air supplied into a storage compartment. An availability of lot of empty spaces / voids on the door are not of much use, which can be used to store soft vegetables like lemons, leafy vegetables and the like. The rigid layout restricts users to make extensive storage on the door. Soft veggies like salad veggies, lemons, green leafy vegetables will be spoiled faster when mixed with the hard veggies. The present invention provides a solution for the above disclosed problem, by providing at least one convertible storage bin at the door side of the appliance.

[0003] A patent application US20200041198 discloses a bin positioned within a refrigerator drawer and slidable across the refrigerator drawer at one or more edges of the refrigerator drawer and/or at one or more sliding mechanisms attached to at least one side of the refrigerator drawer.

Brief description of the invention:
[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide at least one convertible storage bin in a household appliance.

[0005] The objects are solved by at least one converitble storage in a household appliance having the features according to claims 1 and 10.

[0006] The invention relates to at least one convertible storage bin in a household appliance. The appliance compries a door for accessing at least one item stored inside the appliance. The appliance comprises a liner of the door that acts as an inner side wall of the door. The appliance comprises a main storage bin fitted on the liner of the door. The main storage bin of the appliance comprises a pocket made below the main storage bin for receiving the at least one convertible storage bin . The at least one convertible storage bin compriess a sliding element extending from at least one surface of the at least one convertible storage bin .
[0007] The at least one storage bin comprises a mounting hook made on an outer area . The at least one convertible storage bin is fitted upside down into the pocket of the main storage bin by accommodating the sliding element into the pocket using at least one fitting techniques.

[0008] A feature of this invention is that, the at least one convertible storage bin comprises a mounting hook made on an outer area .

[0009] Another feature of this invention is that, the at least one convertible storage bin when fitted upside down accommodates at least one elongated item comprising a bottle, a cup, a sachet.

[0010] Another feature of this invention is that, the appliance comprises at least two convertible storage bins fitted in a single row on the door liner.

[0011] Another feature of this invention is that, a space formed between then two convertible storage bins for ease of removal and replacement.

[0012] Another feature of this invention is that, a upside down position of the at least one storage bin is locked when the protrusion is slided into the depression of the main storage bin.
[0013] Another feature of this invention is that , the appliance comprises a bracket adapted to mount the at least one convertible storage bin on the door liner through the mounting hook.

[0014] Another feature of this invention is that, the bracket comprises a holding element made corresponding to the mounting hook of the at least one convertible storage bin.

[0015] Another feature of this invention is that, the appliance comprises nubbins made on the door liner of the appliance for mounting the at least one convertible storage bin directly onto the door liner.

[0016] With the above disclsoed convertible storage bin 12 in the appliance 10, the user can store small items and vegetables like lemons, medicines, pulses, ketchups and the like, when it is positioned in a normal position. When the convertible storage bin is in upside down position then the any item that has an elangoted shape can be stored in that place. The above disclosed storage bin can be used as a retrofit solution. It provides a low-cost solution and increases the flexibility in changing the position. The dimensions of the at least one convertible storage bin is not limited to one shape, but can be of full bin or half bin or of any other shape that is known to a person skilled in the art.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings
An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings.
[0017] Figure 1 illustrates at least convertible storage bin in a household appliance, in accordance with an embodiment of this invention; and
[0018] Figures 2(a)&2(b) illustrates the appliance with the on the at least storage bin in accordance with the present invention.
Detailed description of the embodiments
[0019] Figure 1 illustrates at least one convertible storage bin in a household appliance, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The appliance 10 compries a door 13 for accessing at least one item 11 stored inside the appliance 10. The appliance 10 comprises a liner 14 of the door 13 that acts as an inner side wall of the door 13. The appliance 10 comprises a main storage bin 15 fitted on the liner 14 of the door 13. The main storage bin 15 of the appliance 10 comprises a pocket 16 made below the main storage bin 15 for receiving the at least one convertible storage bin 12 . The at least one convertible storage bin 12 comprises a sliding element 18 extending from at least one surface of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 is fitted into the pocket 16 of main storage bin using at least one fitting techniques.

[0020] Further, the construction of the household appliance 10 and the components of the household appliance 10 are explained as follows. According to one embodiment of the invention, the appliance 10 is a refrigerator. The refrigerator is chosen from any one of the following refrigerators comprising a single door refrigerator and a multi-door refrigerator. In the conventional appliances, the storage bins (12,15) present on the door 13 side of the appliance 10, are designed to accommodate small items 11 that needs refrigeration and since the bins 12 have fixed covers or used as open trays, the items 11 stored inside gets spoils easily.

[0021] The items 11 that are stored in the at least one convertible storage bin 12 is chosen from a group of items comprising small veggies, salad veggies, lemons, medicines that needs refrigeration. The items can be any other items that are known to a person skilled in the art.

[0022] Figures 2(a)& 2(b) illustrates the appliance with the at least one convertible storage bin in accordance with the present invention. The appliance 10 can have more than one convertible storage bin 12 present on the door 13 side of the appliance 10. According to one embodiment of the invention, the appliance 10 comprsies two convertible storage bins 12(a),12(b), in a single row on the door liner 14 of the appliance 10. For ease of understanding, one at least convertible storage bin 12 that is present on left is referred as first storage bin 12 and the one on the right is referred as second storage bin 12 . As disclosed above, the at least two convertible storage bins 12 are mounted in every row on the door liner 14 of the appliance 10. A space 22 is formed in between of every two convertible storage bins 12 for ease of removal and replacement. The appliance 10 comprises the liner 14 made on the door 13 side and also on the refrigeration side.

[0023] The at least one storage bin 12 comprises a mounting hook 20 made on an outer area. The at least one convertible storage bin 12 is fitted upside down into the pocket 16 of the main storage bin 12 by accommodating the sliding element 18 into the pocket 16 using at least one fitting techniques. The at least one fitting techniques are chosen from a group of fitting techniques like a snap fit, a press fit, a fastner and the like. According to one embodiment of this invention, the sliding element 18 is fitted using a snap fit technique into the pocket of the main storage bin 15. The pocket 16 and the sliding element 18 are made as an integral part of the main storage bin 15 and the at least one convertible storage bin 12 respectively, according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the inveniton, the at least one convertible storage bin 12 comprises a protrusion 26 and the main storage bin 15 comprises a corresponding depression 24 for accomodating the protrusion 26 of the at least one storage bin 12. When the sliding element 18 is fitted into the pocket 16 of the main storage bin 12, the protrusion 26 is locked in the depression 24 of the mian storage bin 12. With this kind of arrangment, the position of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 is made intact.

[0025] The above arrangment also facilitates, the at least one covertible storage bin 12 to mount on the main storage bin 15 in a up-side down position. The at least one convertible storage bin 12 when fitted upside down accommodates at least one elongated item comprising a bottle, a cup, a sachet. The at least one convertible storage bin 12 when fitted upside down accommodates at least one elongated item 15 as mentioned above

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the at least one convertible storage bin 12 comprises a mounting hook 20 made on an outer area. The mounting hook 20 is made to mount the at least one convertible storage bin 12 on the door liner 14 of the appliance 10. The appliance 10 comprises a bracket 28 adapted to mount the at least one convertible storage bin 12 on the door liner 14 through the mounting hook 20. The bracket 28 comprises a holding element 30 made corresponding to the mounting hook 20 of the at least one convertible storage bin 12.

[0027] When the at least one storage bin 12 is mounted in a normal position on the bracket 28 that is present on the door liner 14 of the appliance 10, the mounting hook 20 is fitted into the holding element 30 of the bracket 28 , such that, the position of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 is locked. For the removal of the at least one convertible storage bin 12, the user has to lift the bin 12 and apply a pressure to pull out the bin 12 from the holding element 30 of the bracket 28. In this kind of arrangment, the storage bin 12 will be in open state and acts as a open tray.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the appliance 10 comprises nubbins 32 made on the door liner 14 of the appliance 10 for mounting the at least one convertible storage bin 12 directly onto the door liner 14. The nubbins 32 are made in a space corresponding to the size of at least one storage bin 12. The at least one convertible storage bin 12 is mounted between two nubbins 32 via the mounting hook 20 or any other cut-section (not shown) made on the outer area of the storage bin 12.
[0029] The dimensions of the mounting hook 20 or the cut-section is made corresponding to the dimensions of the nubbins 32. According to other embodiment of the invention, the sliding element 18 of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 is made in such a way that, the sliding element 18 is fitted on the nubbins 32 of the appliance 10 in an upside-down position.

[0030] A method of working of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 in the appliance 10 is explained as follows. During the summers, where there will be a need of storage of elongated items like bottles, the user requires additional space in the appliance 10 for storing the same. In this kind of situation, the disclosed storage bin 12 is removed and the sliding element 18 is fitted into the pocket 16 of the main storage bin 15 in an upside-down position as shown in figure 2(a). The protrusion 26 present on the storage bin 12 is snap locked into the depression 24 of the main storage bin 15, thus locking the position of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 in an up-side down position. Due to this, the user gets an additional space on the door liner 14 of the appliance 10 for storing elongated items like bottles. For removing the upside down positioned at least one convertible storage bin 12, the user has to apply a pressure on the bin 12 and it will be removed from the pocket 16 of the main storage bin 15 without much hassle. The dimensions of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 is made according to dimensions of at least one item 11 that is getting stored in the bin 12 in the upside down position.

[0031] During a winter season, where there will not be any requirement of storing elongated bottles 11 at the door liner 14 of the appliance 10, the user can pull out the storage bins 12 from the pocket 16 of the main storage bin 15 and is mounted either on the bracket 28 or on the nubbins 32 using the mounting hook 20 as shown in figure 2(b). When the at least one convertible storage bin 12 has to be mounted on the bracket 28, the mounting hook 20 will be locked in the holding element 30 of the bracket 28, thus locking the position of the convertible storage bin 12. The same mounting process will be applied for mounting the convertible storage bin 12 on the nubbins 32 of the appliance 10.

[0032] With the above disclosed convertible storage bin 12 in the appliance 10, the user can store small items and vegetables like lemons, medicines, pulses, ketchups and the like, when it is positioned in a normal position. When the convertible storage bin 12 is in upside down position then the any item 11 that has an elanogated shape can be stored in that place. The above disclosed convertible storage bin 12 can be used as a retrofit solution. It provides a low-cost solution and increases the flexibility in changing the position. The dimensions of the at least one convertible storage bin 12 is not limited to one shape, but can be of full bin or half bin or of any other shape that is known to a person skilled in the art.

[0033] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.

List of Reference Signs
10 household appliance
11 at least one item
12 at least one convertible storage bin
13 door of the appliance
14 liner of the door of the appliance
15 main storage bin
16 pocket
18 sliding element
20 mounting hook
22 space
24 depression on the pocket
26 protrusion on the sliding element
28 bracket
30 holding element
32 nubbins
, Claims:We Claim:
1. At least one convertible storage bin (12) in a household appliance (10), said appliance (10) comprising:
- a door (13) for accessing at least one item (11) stored inside said appliance (10);
- a liner (14) of said door (13) acts as an inner side wall of said door (13);
- a main storage bin (15) fitted on said liner (14) of said door (13);
characterized in said appliance (10):
- a pocket (16) made below said main storage bin (15) for receiving said at least one convertible storage bin (12);
- a sliding element(18) extending from at least one surface of said at least one convertible storage bin (12) ;
said at least one convertible storage bin (12) is fitted upside down into said pocket (16) of said main storage bin (15) by accommodating said sliding element (18) into said pocket (16) using at least one fitting techniques.

2. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one convertible storage bin (12) comprises a mounting hook (20) made on an outer area.

3. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one convertible storage bin (12) when fitted upside down accommodates at least one elongated item (14) comprising a bottle, a cup, a sachet.

4. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said appliance (10) comprises at least two convertible storage bins (12) fitted in a single row on said door liner (14).

5. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 4, wherein a space (22) formed between said two convertible storage bins (12) for ease of removal and replacement.

6. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a depression (24) is made on said pocket (16) of said main storage bin (15) for receiving a corresponding protrusion (26) made on said at least one convertible storage bin (12).

7. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 6, wherein a upside down position of said at least one convertible storage bin (12) is locked when said protrusion (26) is slided into said depression (24) of said main storage bin (15).

8. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said appliance (10) comprises a bracket (28) adapted to mount said at least one convertible storage bin (12) on said door liner (14) through said mounting hook (20).

9. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said bracket (28) comprises a holding element (30) made corresponding to said mounting hook (20) of said at least one convertible storage bin (12).

10. The appliance (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said appliance (10) comprises nubbins (32) made on said door liner (14) of said appliance (10) for mounting said at least one convertible storage bin (12) directly onto said door liner (14).