EP0015206B1 - Refrigerator with moulded base - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a refrigeration cabinet with molded plastics base.

A refrigeration cabinet comprises a tank and a carcass defining a volume closed by a door, heat-insulating foam being placed between tank and carcass during a so-called foaming operation. The carcass rests on a base which must perform several functions, in particular the attachment of the compressor and possibly the thermostat, while leaving an air passage for ventilation.

Currently, the base, generally metallic, is independent of the lower casing of the carcass which must have a shape such that it saves the space necessary for the compressor and the thermostat. This form, which cannot be very complex for reasons of manufacturing economy, most often comprises an inclined plane corresponding to the location of the compressor and thermostat. This arrangement results, for a given size of the cabinet, a significant reduction in the useful volume of the cabinet. Furthermore, the fixing of the metal base to the carcass, and that of the compressors, thermostats and other accessories to the base, requires for the manufacture of each base, a large number of operations.

Certain known cabinets, one of which is described in the publication FR-A-2003756, include a molded synthetic plinth which constitutes the bottom of the carcass and which makes it possible, for a given size, to gain space over non-enclosed spaces. used and therefore significantly increase the useful volume of these cabinets. This base is fixed on the lower part of the carcass sheets, before carrying out the foaming operation by which the foam is formed between the carcass (partially formed by the base) and the tank.

This foam helps to consolidate the attachment of this base.

Many cabinets are presented to customers with a right door or left door option. With the cabinets with metal bases or in molded synthetic material, known recalled in previous paragraphs, it is necessary to provide this option during manufacture, and to build cabinets having one or the other arrangement, if one does not do not want. make the expense of a double door pivot fixing on each manufactured base.

In other known cabinets such as those of the type illustrated in publication CH-A-463 549, a door option on the right or on the left can be done at the time of their installation. However, in terms of their structure, these known cabinets have the drawback either of comprising a relatively large number of parts to be assembled or of being without a plinth of molded synthetic material and of the advantages provided by the latter.

The object of the present invention is to avoid these drawbacks, makes it possible to produce a refrigerated cabinet having relatively few parts to be assembled, provided with a molded synthetic base, and the door option of which is on the right or on the left. can be done when installing the cabinet.

According to the invention, the refrigeration cabinet comprises a molded base which comprises on each side of the front face, a location for fixing on one side or the other, of a single removable foot supporting the lower pivot of the door.

This removable foot can be put in place when installing the cabinet.

• La figure 1 une perspective de l'armoire selon l'invention ;
• La figure 2 une perspective du socle.

Other characteristics may appear in the description of an embodiment given below with the figures which represent:

• Figure 1 a perspective of the cabinet according to the invention;
• Figure 2 a perspective of the base.

The base 1 mainly consists of a horizontal sheet 2 constituting the bottom of the carcass. This sheet is curved at its lateral ends to join substantially at ground level grooves 3 in which will be embedded the lower ends 4 of the carcass. Near these grooves, holes 5 have been made for the passage of the screws used to economically fix the base on the lower part of the carcass sheets 4.

On the front part of the base, this groove is located at a higher level 6 to provide below it a window 7 (FIG. 1) intended to form a passage for the air used to ventilate the compressor and thermostat. In the space between the ground and the sheet 2 is housed the tank 8 used to collect the defrost water.

On the rear face of the sheet is provided a housing 9 for the compressor, and possibly a housing 11 for a thermostat. At the lower part of this housing 9 are provided the compressor attachments, constituted here by slides 12 facilitating the fixing operations which consist in inserting the compressor frame in the housing 9 like a drawer.

Partitions and ribs 13 make it possible to direct the air entering through window 7, under the sheet 2, onto the compressor box and the thermostat as indicated by the arrows.

The rear face of the housing 9 for the compressors and thermostat is wide open to allow air to escape to the rear of the cabinet. To this end, the groove 14, intended to receive the lower part of the rear carcass plate, is placed at the upper part of a vertical rise 16 of the sheet 2.

On the front face of the base 1 at the two right and left corners, are provided two locations 17 and 18 intended to accommodate a foot 19 whose external shape is complementary to the internal shape of the locations. This foot 19 carries at the end of an arm, at an adequate distance from the plane of the front of the cabinet, the lower pivot 21 of the door 22.

To prevent the weight of this door from deforming the base (or to avoid having to excessively strengthen the rigidity of this part of the base) the foot 19 bears directly on the ground by means of a setting screw 23 which is adjustable.

• - la possibilité de fabriquer des socles pour divers modèles. Les techniques de moulage autorisent en effet l'exécution de formes très compliquées, et on peut se permettre de doter tous les socles des particularités de chaque modèle ;
• - la simplification des opérations de peinture de la carcasse par suppression de la nécessité de pré-touches ;
• - l'efficacité du circuit de ventilation particulièrement bien adapté aux types d'armoire encastrée.

To the advantages already indicated of this invention, one can also add:

• - the possibility of manufacturing bases for various models. The molding techniques allow the execution of very complicated shapes, and we can afford to endow all the bases with the particularities of each model;
• - simplification of the carcass painting operations by eliminating the need for pre-touches;
• - the efficiency of the ventilation circuit particularly well suited to the types of built-in cabinet.

Claims (3)

1. Refrigerator comprising an outer cabinet and an inner cabinet defining a space ciused by a door, heat-insulating foamed material being provided in the interspace between inner and outer cabinet, wherein the entire arrangement is disposed on a base of molded synthetic material (1) which forms the bottom of the outer cabinet, characterized in that the base (1) is provided on either side of its front face with a recess or a location (17, 18) for receiving a single removable foot (19) on the one or the other side, said foot supporting the bottom pin (21) of the refrigerator door (22).

2. Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the foot (19) supporting the pin (21) of the door (22) rests on the floor by means of an adjustable setting screw (23).

3. Refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that the foot (19) supporting the pin (21) of the door (22) has an external shape which is complementary to the internal shape of the recesses or locations (17, 18) of the base (1).

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