CZ302079B6 - Shelf for placing therein products and method for production of such shelf - Google Patents

Abstract

A shelf (1) for placing therein products, especially in refrigeration units, comprising at least one supporting plate (2) embodied by at least one panel made of glass or plastic material, and includes corner pieces (4, 5, 6, 7) as for example covering part at a circumference of the supporting plate. Each corner piece (4, 5, 6, 7) covers only one corner (8, 9, 10, 11) of the supporting plate (2) and these corner pieces cover the whole circumference of the supporting plate.

Description

Technical field

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a shelf (or compartment or drawer) for storing articles which is intended to be mounted or mounted horizontally on a furniture structure. In particular, it relates to a shelf particularly suitable for use in refrigerated cabinets or freezers for storing in particular foodstuffs. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a shelf.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known in household refrigerators to use compartments in the form of solid plastic or glass worktops that are easy to clean, hygienic and allow efficient storage of all kinds of food. It is also known to provide these panels with a rim to eliminate and / or to reinforce the edges of the panels, see for example EP 582 780 or EP0856712, which is considered to be the closest prior art. In the case of a rim of plastic, this rim is typically formed by placing the plate in a mold and injecting the plastic around the periphery of the plate to form a peripheral strip. It is also known to flange the leading edge of a plate and a portion of adjacent side edges with a plastic profile of suitable dimensions, and optionally to hem the rear edge and a portion of adjacent side edges with another plastic profile of suitable dimensions. In any case, changing the size of the plate requires adjusting the flange dimensions and hence changing the form and / or profiles, which incurs additional costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new hygienic, practical and reliable storage shelf, especially for refrigerators, easier and more economical to manufacture than the shelves mentioned above, especially manufactured with different dimensions without incurring the cost of resizing.

This object is achieved by means of a shelf according to the invention comprising at least one support plate formed by at least one glass or possibly plastic sheet, further comprising corner pieces such as cover parts on the periphery of the support plate, preferably made of plastic, each corner piece covering only one a single corner of the carrier plate and these corner pieces themselves cover the entire circumference of the carrier plate, and by a method of making a shelf in which several corner pieces are assembled on the circumference of the carrier plate, each corner piece covering only one single corner of the carrier plate and these corner pieces themselves cover the entire perimeter of the carrier plate.

The shelf plate (or support plate) of the invention is generally plate-shaped or alternatively has an element with an approximately planar surface of low thickness relative to its surface; it has an upper surface (in the operative position), which is generally approximately planar, which is intended to accommodate the articles, further has a lower side, said sides being bounded or delimited by adjacent lateral sides forming angles or corners. In the following description, as is evident, the angle or corner of the plate is understood to be the angle formed by the lateral sides of the plate, i.e. the angle in the plane of the plate (i.e., in the horizontal plane when the plate is in a functional position).

The board has multiple corners. In many cases it has four corners; it is generally rectangular in shape (its upper side or its horizontal section being in the position of use), but may have a different shape, such as a square or other polygon.

The plate is formed by at least one sheet of glass or possibly plastic (preferably transparent, for aesthetic and practical reasons). In most cases, the sheet consists of a single sheet, generally several millimeters thick, but in some cases a more complicated structure may be considered, in particular a laminate comprising, for example, a plurality of glass and / or plastic sheets and optionally including one or more sheets of another material (s). If the plate has a complex structure, in particular a laminate, it preferably has a glass or plastic sheet on the top side (for hygiene and maintenance reasons) for storing the products. The sheet preferably comprises one or more sheets of glass, the use of this material within the scope of the invention providing advantages in terms of hygiene, stiffness, durability, etc. For safety reasons, the sheet is preferably tempered, especially when the sheet consists of a single sheet of glass.

The surface of the plate is generally solid, but it may be possible to use a plate with one or more perforated areas. It is also possible to use a plate having one or more grooves or one or more recesses or, optionally, one or more reliefs, for example, as described below, a plate having one or more grooves for receiving or retaining the attached parts, in particular for receiving the cover parts. The board may be provided with decorative or functional layers, or even with a layer of water. patterns, on the surface or in between the layers, in particular decorative patterns produced by the baking ink, for example by screen printing and subsequent firing. For aesthetic and practical reasons, the board is preferably completely or partially transparent.

According to the invention, the shelf comprises at least corner pieces (or corner linings, or rather corner protective pieces or corner cover pieces), preferably made of plastic, each corner piece covering only one corner or angle of the plate. Each corner piece according to the invention is a rounded or angular piece adapted to the corner of the plate to be trimmed. It has two lateral portions or arms (which are connected through an arc or angle) that can at least partially cover each of the two adjacent sides of the plate that form the corner to be clad. The corner guard may cover the corner and the two sides at part or all of their height and / or at the adjacent edges of the bottom and / or top side, the lining may vary according to location (for example, the protection may have decorative openings allowing insight in certain places on the narrow side of the board). The corner portion preferably covers the corner on the above-mentioned sides at least in part of their height (and preferably in their entire height at least at the level of the edges extending beyond the intersection of the angle-forming sides) and in the portion of adjacent edges of the bottom and top sides.

The length of each arm of the corner piece is generally chosen to be less than or equal to, preferably less than the length of the side it covers. Preferably, for a certain product area, such as a refrigerator shelf for which the dimensions vary by a few centimeters depending on the brand and size, one corner piece is used for all shelves produced for said product area, each arm having a length less than or equal to such as the smallest standard length of side to be covered in said product area.

The storage plate has several corners. According to the invention, it is provided with a plurality of corner pieces as described above, wherein each corner piece covers only one corner of the support plate. Preferably, the shelf has as many corner pieces of the type described above (but the components may, however, exhibit differences in each other, as will be illustrated below) as the corner plate has, each corner of the plate being covered by one corner piece. In the most common case where the plate is rectangular, it is preferably provided with four corner pieces, each covering one corner of the plate.

The shelf-forming plate according to the invention has a lining in the form of a plurality of corner pieces such as those described above, the pieces being separable from each other and from other possibly present cover elements. The board is surrounded by a lining around the perimeter, the lining consisting of a plurality of separate cover parts (including the corner part or parts mentioned above) that are assembled, each corner part covering only two adjacent side faces of the board. Preferably, especially for economic and practical reasons, the board is provided as circumferential lining parts only with the corner parts mentioned above, which parts are of such length and shape that they themselves cover the entire perimeter of the board.

-2GB 302079 B6

Obviously, the shelf according to the invention is particularly advantageous, especially in production terms, since it comprises several cover pieces in the form of corner pieces, each of which can protect one sharp edge (in the corner of the plate) and a portion of at least two adjacent sides of the plate.

Preferably, at least two cover portions, preferably a set of cover portions of the sides of the shelf, according to the invention are adapted to be assembled together. In particular, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one, preferably each corner piece is adapted to be assembled with an adjacent cover piece on the sides of the plate. Preferably, the board is provided as cover parts only with the parts mentioned above, the parts being of such length and shape that they are assembled together to cover the entire periphery of the board.

More preferably, the at least two cover portions and preferably a set of cover portions of the sides of the plate are adapted to be assembled together in a portion, preferably a large portion, of its lengths and for insertion or insertion into each other to form a telescopic cover portion assembly. In a particularly preferred, preferred embodiment of the invention the at least one corner part, preferably at least two corner parts, and particularly preferably all the corner parts are adapted to be assembled together by their arms, always in part, preferably over a large part of the arm length, and inserting adjacent cover pieces so as to form a telescopic assembly of corner pieces. By "large part of length" ⁴ is meant a part that may represent up to about 99% of said length, for example, a part comprising about 40 to 96% of the length. In the area of refrigerator shelves, this "large part of the length ^44" is, for example, a few centimeters. Further, when it is stated that one or at least a portion of the cover piece (e.g., arm) is adapted to be assembled over a large part of the length, it will be appreciated that the parts may be assembled over a greater or lesser part of its length, a large part of the length.

Preferably, the cover portions each have one plug end and one plug end, or two plug ends, or two plug ends, the plug end adapted to receive the plug end of an adjacent cover piece, and the plug ends and plug ends alternate. Preferably, as mentioned above, the lengths and shapes of the plug and socket pieces are chosen such that the plug end can be inserted and plugged in and inserted into the socket end, for example a few centimeters in length. Thus, a telescopic lining structure is obtained which can be adapted for boards of different sizes without the need to produce cover pieces of different lengths when the board size is changed. In other words, the same set of cover pieces (especially corner pieces) can be used for lining, along their entire circumference, different boards having the same shape and possibly the same thickness but different dimensions.

Preferably, the board is provided as peripheral cladding panels only with corner pieces according to the invention having a length and shape such that they can be inserted or inserted (or inserted) into one another, preferably a large part, of their respective legs so as to form a telescopic structure able to cover the entire perimeter of the board for different board sizes. Especially using molded corner pieces having a plug end and a plug end adapted to telescopically insert the plug end of an identical second corner piece, four identical corner pieces can be used to cover the circumference of the rectangular plate, this embodiment has the advantage that and a single mold is sufficient for different board dimensions.

The corner pieces are preferably molded. Optionally, the other cover parts may also be molded or extruded. The cover parts (including corner parts) typically have a centrally U-shaped cavity and may be provided with one or more internal reliefs (or projections or pins or ribs) for example to reinforce the parts and / or to position these parts correctly relative to Advantageously, these parts are attached to the board, for example by means of one or more adhesive or gripping means, preferably by one or more internal reliefs enabling the parts to be clamped or retained in one or more grooves formed on one and / or the other side. boards. Thus, the shelf can be made, for example, by pressing successively each corner piece onto the corner of the plate (and sliding it

And / or by pushing any additional cover pieces between the corner pieces) until their reliefs penetrate the grooves of the plate.

According to a particular embodiment, the one or more cover portions, in particular the corner portions, may be formed as -and / or may comprise one or more other functional and / or decorative parts or elements. In particular, the one or more cover parts (particularly the corner parts) may comprise or be arranged to receive one or more respective fastening means, one or more means for connecting (attaching or engaging) to the furniture structure in which the shelf is to be mounted and / or may comprise one or more ribs (or side A) on the underside (or may be adapted to receive them), in particular comprising one or more metal parts, preferably embedded in plastic, to reinforce the compartment to increase its stability if it is shelf connected to the structure only by its edges (self-supporting compartments). It may also be provided, on one or more cover pieces, one or more skirts, and optionally one or more seals between the skirts and the plate, to prevent liquids from flowing from the shelf, and / or one or more stop strips (or boundaries) serving as a stop for example, the products placed on the shelf come into contact with the wall of the cooling furniture in which it is placed. Also, one or more handles may be provided on the side of the shelf to be left free, and the shelf may be adapted to engage between the slide rails on either side, optionally by means of connecting means such as pins or projections, in the interior of the furniture in which it is located. One or more means for attaching additional functional or decorative elements may also be provided on the cover panels. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, where the cover parts, in particular the corner parts, engage with each other, it is possible to select cover parts which engage with each other at their full height, although these parts have a complex profile due to the presence of elements such as ribs or stop strips. These parts can be selected, or cover parts can be selected which are only inserted in part of their height, the remaining part being adjusted by cutting according to the size of the panel to be clad as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Overall, the shelf of the invention is formed by assembling a plurality of corner pieces at the periphery of the receiving plate, each corner piece covering one corner of the plate. The corner pieces and, optionally, other cover piece (s) are slid along the periphery of the plate and / or pressed until they engage in one or more recesses or grooves in the glass; the cover parts, in particular the corner parts, can also be assembled with each other at least in part of their length and height, the remaining part of their height being optionally adjusted by cutting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will be explained by means of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings which illustrate the invention without limiting it, and in which Fig. 1a is a schematic top view of a corner piece used in the first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1b shows a schematic front view of the corner piece of FIG. 1a in section along line A-A in FIG. 1a; FIG. 1c shows a schematic side view of the corner piece of FIG. 1a in section along line B-B in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 1d is a schematic top view of a shelf according to the invention (in a functional position) using the corner piece of FIG. 1a;

Fig. 1e a schematic top view of a shelf of smaller dimensions than the shelf of Fig. 1d, but with the same covering parts;

FIG. 2a is a schematic top view of a corner piece according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2b is a schematic top view of a second corner piece according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2c is a schematic top view of a shelf according to a second embodiment of the invention using the corner piece of Figs. 2a and 2b;

FIG. 3a is a schematic top view of a shelf according to a third embodiment of the invention, wherein a portion of the corner piece is removed to allow a view of the reinforcing elements;

FIG. 3b is a schematic perspective exploded view of the shelf of FIG. 3a;

Fig. 4a is a schematic top view of a half shelf according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, the shelf being symmetrical along the dashed line;

FIG. 4b is a schematic side view of the shelf of FIG. 4a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For simplicity and clarity, like elements (although they may exhibit differences between embodiments) are provided with the same reference numerals in the various figures.

In all embodiments of the invention shown in Figs. 1d, 1e, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b, the shelf I comprises a plate formed by a glass sheet 2 and four corner pieces 4, 5, 6, 7 each covering one corner of the plate and a portion two adjacent corner-forming sides; for example, as shown in Fig. 3b, the cover portions 4, 5, 6, 7 cover the corners 8, 9, 10, 11, and a portion of adjacent sides forming these corners, these sides having the reference numerals 12, 13, H and 15, for example, part 4 covers part of sides 12 and 13.

Each corner piece has two arms representing each end (4a, 4b and 5a, 5b and 6a, 6b and 7a, 7b, respectively) and the corner pieces 4, 5, 6, 7 are adapted to be assembled together and slid into a substantial portion length of each arm. In these embodiments, it is also possible by assembling more or less corner pieces to use the same panels for lining boards of different sizes (see in particular Figs. 1d and 1e) on their periphery, the shelves formed according to this embodiment being particularly economical.

The shelves can be manufactured easily and quickly by sliding each corner piece along the edge of the plate after the other so that they are connected to each other and then pushing the corner pieces into one or more grooves 16 (shown in Figure 3b) formed on the top surface of the glass plate by several millimeters. from the edge until they are retained in this groove (s). To this end, the corner pieces are provided with an internal projection Γ7 (visible in Figures 1b and 1c) to allow the corner pieces to be retained and retained in the groove (s) of the glass.

According to a first embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1d and 1e, the shelf comprises four molded corner parts 4, 5, 6, 7 of the construction shown in Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c representing part 4 (the other corner parts are identical to this embodiment). Each corner piece has two arms, one arm having a plug end (ends 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a) and the other end having a socket end (4b, 5b, 6b, 7b) adapted to receive, telescopically, the plug end of the same corner piece. Thus, it is possible to use a single type of cover piece for lining boards of different dimensions (Fig. 1d and Fig. 1e) on their circumference, so that the shelves formed in this way are particularly economical.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1d, it is also evident that the plate is decorated on the upper surface with parallel lines 3, formed, for example, by screen printing and subsequent firing.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2c, the shelf comprises four molded corner pieces, two and two identical, each covering one corner of the plate and a portion of two adjacent sides forming that corner. The corner pieces 5 and 7 (whose construction is shown in Fig. 2b) each have two arms each having a plug end (5a, 5b and 7a, 7b respectively), the latter part 7b not being visible in Fig. 2c as it is covered by the end 4a into which it is inserted), while the corner pieces 4 and 6 (FIG. 2a) each have two

The arms that both have a socket end (4a, 4b and 6a, 6b, respectively) capable of receiving the plug end of one of the corner pieces 5 and 7. The alternately positioned corner pieces can thus be assembled together and slid into each other and thus adaptable on plates of different dimensions to create shelves of different dimensions, the extent of carrying out the adaptation being minimized.

In the third embodiment shown in Figs. 3a and 3b, each corner portion includes an arm having a plug end 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a and an arm having a receptacle end 4b, 5b, 6b, 7b adapted to receive a portion of its length. the plug end of an adjacent corner piece.

The shelf can be inserted between the furniture guides by means of pins or pins 18, 19 located on the corner pieces 4 and 5 and by the projections 20, 21 located on the corner pieces 6, 7. In FIG. inner walls 24 for reinforcing the corner pieces, in particular for reinforcing the projections 20, 21. The corner pieces 4, 5 are also provided with stops 22, 23, wherein the stop 23 is unlike the rest of the corner piece assembled and cut to a suitable length for connection with the stop 22 when the corner pieces 4 and 5 are assembled to its final length. These stops make it possible to prevent the food from falling into the air circulation space arranged behind the shelf when the shelf is used in the refrigerator, or to prevent the food from coming into contact with the rear wall of the freezing chamber.

The embodiment shown in Figures 4a and 4b is identical to the embodiment shown in Figure 3, except that the parts 18, 19, 20, 21 for connecting the shelf to the furniture are omitted and this connection is made by other elements 25, 27, and with the difference that the stopper 23 is assembled with the stopper 22, that is to say the corner pieces 4 and 5 are mutually adjustable over their entire height. Regarding the connection of the shelf to the furniture construction, corner pieces 4 and 7 (and symmetrically corner pieces 5 and 7)

6) each carry on the underside of one arm (rib or "sidewall" 25, 26, the rib of the corner part (and symmetrically of the corner part 5) has at one end a coupling means 27 allowing the shelf to be connected one side to the structure; the rib comprises a metal part (not shown) embedded in the plastic to reinforce the compartment and improve its stability The ribs of the corner parts 4 and 7 (and symmetrically of the parts 5 and 6) may be retractable or may be

3o cut to the required lengths to allow their connection after assembly of the parts together.

In some embodiments, less preferred, the embodiments of the shelves shown in Figs. 1d, 1e, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b are contemplated using corner pieces without plug ends (e.g., deprived ends 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a of the embodiment). 1), the parts corresponding to these ends being replaced by straight cover members adapted to be inserted and displaced in corner pieces which connect to each other. It is also possible to omit the plug ends of the corner pieces and leave certain areas of the glass unlabeled.

Other variants for adapting the shelf (in aesthetic and / or functional characteristics) of the furniture in which it is to be incorporated are also contemplated.

The shelf according to the invention is particularly suitable for storing products in refrigeration devices (for example, as a shelf in a refrigerator for storing foodstuffs), but can also be used advantageously in other, uncooled, furniture parts. It provides the advantages of simple and inexpensive production, ease of use, safety, hygiene and aesthetics. The shelf according to the invention can be used advantageously in refrigerators or freezers or all similar structures, cooled or non-cooled.

Claims (8)

PATENT CLAIMS A product storage shelf (1) comprising at least one support plate (2) formed by at least one glass or plastic sheet and comprising corner portions (4, 5, 6, 7), such as cover portions at the periphery of the support plate (1). 2), characterized in that each corner part (4, 5, 6, 7) covers only one single corner (8, 9, 10, 11) of the support plate (2) and these corner parts (4, 5, 6, 7) cover the entire perimeter of the carrier plate (2). Shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that the corner parts (4, 5, 6, 7) are made of plastic. Shelf according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the at least one corner part (4, 5, 6, 7) can be assembled with adjacent corner parts (4, 5, 6, 7). Shelf according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one corner part (4, 5, 6, 7) can be inserted or retracted into adjacent corner parts (4, 5, 6, 7) so that that they form a telescopic assembly of cover parts. A shelf according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the corner parts (4, 5, 6. 7) are connected to the plate (2) by means of one or more internal projections (17) allowing) to engage these parts in one or more grooves (16) formed in the plate (2). Shelf according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the one or more corner parts (4, 5, 6, 7) comprise or are adapted to receive one or more connecting means (18, 19, 20, 21) for connection with furniture structures and / or comprise one or more ribs (25, 26) on the underside for strengthening the shelf (1) and / or one or more skirts preventing liquids from flowing from the shelf (1) and / or one or more stop strips (22, 23) and / or one or more handles and / or one or more means for attaching further functional and / or decorative elements. A method for producing a shelf according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a plurality of corner pieces (4, 5, 6, 7) are assembled on the periphery of the support plate (2), wherein each corner piece (4, 5, 6, 7) ) covers only one corner (8, 9, 10, 11) of the support plate (2), and these corner portions (4, 5, 6, 7) themselves cover the entire circumference of the support plate (2). Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the corner parts (4, 5, 6, 7) assemble into each other at least a part of their length and their height.