Refrigerator appliances generally include a cabinet that defines a chilled chamber for receipt of food items for storage. For example, the cabinet can define a fresh food chamber and a freezer chamber. The fresh food chamber can be maintained at a temperature greater than the freezing point of water. Conversely, the freezer chamber can be maintained at a temperature equal to or less than the freezing point of water.
Refrigerator appliances generally also include one or more shelf assemblies positioned within the fresh food chamber and/or the freezer chamber to facilitate storage and/or organization of any food items positioned therein. Typically, the shelf assemblies are adjustable in height using, e.g., a cantilevered track assembly. Accordingly, with such a configuration, the user may customize the fresh food chamber and/or the freezer chamber of the refrigerator appliance to meet their specific needs.
Modern refrigerator appliances can also include lighting systems attached to or embedded within the one or more shelf assemblies. The lighting systems can, e.g., illuminate the shelf assembly itself, or alternatively can illuminate a lower shelf assembly. However, in order for such refrigerator appliances to provide such lighting systems with electrical power, one or more electric wires are generally required to be disconnected and reconnected as the shelf assembly is adjusted. Certain consumers may find such electrical wires unsightly and may find the additional steps of disconnecting and reconnecting wires undesirable.
Accordingly, a refrigerator appliance having one or more shelf assemblies capable of connecting a lighting system to an electrical source without requiring disconnection and reconnection of electrical wires would be useful. Moreover, a refrigerator appliance having one or more shelf assemblies capable of connecting a lighting system to an electrical source without any visible connections would be particularly beneficial.