EP0344559B1 - Refrigerator or freezer with a shelf for goods to be cooled - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a refrigerator or freezer according to the preamble of the first claim.

In a known refrigerator or freezer of this type, see US-A-2 311 411, sits on a side wall of an inner container a horizontally extending guide bar which is essentially C-shaped in cross section. This guide bar is used for the displaceable mounting of a shortened refrigerated goods shelf which is only guided on one side. Accordingly, there is only a holding means on one side edge of this shortened refrigerated goods storage, which is designed as an elongated guide rail and can be inserted in the longitudinal direction into the adapted, C-shaped guide strip. The holding means consists of an elongated sheet metal strip, which is stepped for stiffening in the region of its upper and lower longitudinal side edge engaging with the guide strip. The upper longitudinal side edge is above the level of the refrigerated goods shelf upwards, while the opposite lower longitudinal side edge projects downward over the refrigerated goods shelf. In this construction, if the refrigerated goods shelf is pulled out of the guide bar in the longitudinal direction, then this refrigerated goods shelf must be grasped with two hands in the absence of an ergonomically favorable holding device. In addition, this refrigerated goods shelf can only be released in the longitudinal direction from the associated guide bar.

It is also known in the case of shelves or product display stands (CH-A-428 125 or US-A-1,802, 245) to provide two spaced-apart support strips which have horizontal incisions, of which the upper flank points towards the bottom of the incision rises at the top, forming an undercut edge. A shelf to be inserted horizontally into the incisions of these support strips has an upwardly directed hook leg on the relevant longitudinal side edge, which at into the holding slots inserted shelf reaches up behind the undercut edge of the incision. The underside of the storage plate lies on the lower flank of the incision, the free distance between the undercut edge and the lower flank of the incision being less than the total height of the hook. After the spaced-apart vertical support strips are only arranged in the end region of the edge bent upward in the manner of a hook, the storage plate can only be inserted into these support strips in the specific position, but cannot be arranged in different positions in the longitudinal direction. A special device that facilitates the handling of the shelf removed from the support bar is not provided.

The invention has for its object to take measures in a refrigerator or freezer according to the preamble of claim 1, through which improved handling is achieved with a simplified structure.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the characterizing features of claim 1.

The lower guide bar bears the weight of the possibly loaded refrigerated goods shelf exerted by the guide bar, while the support bar of the upper guide bar forming the undercut edge is only acted upon by the supporting force preventing the refrigerated goods shelf from tipping. The tilting movement of the refrigerated goods shelf down is also prevented by the hook leg associated with the hook, which is in contact with the relevant section of the side wall of the inner container in the space between the guide rails involved. In this case, the holding means assigned to a side edge of the refrigerated goods shelf extends in the longitudinal direction of the guide bar in question, so that the forces are applied to the guide bar over a correspondingly long section. In addition, the holding means is shaped into an open recessed grip, so that the refrigerated goods shelf is easy to handle after removal from the guide bar. If the refrigerated goods shelf is intended for heavy goods to be cooled, a vertical support wall of the refrigerated goods shelf can be pulled down so that it can be additionally supported on the lower and one of the lower guide strips. It may be useful to provide a support bracket on the underside of a refrigerated goods shelf designed as a horizontal plate.

Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the remaining claims.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings of exemplary embodiments.

• Figur 1 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Kühlgerätes mit abgenommener Tür und mit Blick auf im Innenbehälter angeordnete, in Führungsleisten eingesetzte Kühlgutablagen,
• Figur 2 einen vergrößerten Teilausschnitt in Draufsicht auf die Stirnseiten von Führungsleisten,
• Figur 3 eine Seitenansicht einer becher- oder schalenförmigen Kühlgutablage,
• Figur 4 eine Draufsicht auf die Kühlgutablage nach Figur 3,
• Figur 5 eine als Platte ausgebildete Kühlgutablage mit eingeklipstem Stützbügel,
• Figur 6 einen Teilschnitt entlang der Linie A-A nach Figur 5 mit Raststegen für den Stützbügel,
• Figur 7 einen Querschnitt durch einen Formteil, an dem Führungsleisten ausgebildet sind und
• Figur 8 eine weitere Ausführungsform eines Haltemittels an einer Kühlgutablage.

It shows:

• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a refrigerator with the door removed and with a view of refrigerated goods racks arranged in the inner container and inserted in guide strips,
• FIG. 2 shows an enlarged partial section in a top view of the end faces of guide strips,
• FIG. 3 shows a side view of a cup-shaped or bowl-shaped refrigerated goods shelf,
• FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the refrigerated goods rack according to FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5 shows a refrigerated goods shelf designed as a plate with a clipped-in support bracket,
• FIG. 6 shows a partial section along the line AA according to FIG. 5 with locking webs for the support bracket,
• 7 shows a cross section through a molded part on which guide strips are formed and
• Figure 8 shows a further embodiment of a holding means on a refrigerated goods shelf.

In a refrigerator or freezer, a heat-insulated inner container 2 is arranged within an outer housing, which is open on its side facing the user and can be closed with a door, not shown. The inner container 2 has on its opposing vertical side walls 3 in each case a plurality of horizontally extending guide strips 4 arranged one above the other, which are also open towards the open side of the inner container 2 and in the present case end at a distance from a rear wall 5 of the inner container 2. An undercut edge 6 directed downward is formed on preferably all guide strips 4, which is formed by a support strip 7 molded onto the guide strip 4 at a distance from the plane of the associated side wall 3. This support bar 7 extends over the entire free length of the respective guide bar, which is directed into the depth of the inner container, and is directed toward the guide bar located below it. In some of these guide strips 4, refrigerated goods shelves 8 are suspended, which extend from the associated side wall 3 only over part of the entire inside width of the inner container 2, that is to say they end at a distance from the opposite side wall 3. 3 refrigerated goods shelves 8 can be arranged on one side on both side walls. Furthermore, a conventional refrigerated goods shelf 9 is provided, which extends from a guide bar 4 on one side wall 3 to the corresponding guide bar on the opposite side wall 3 and is thus supported at both ends lying outside in the width direction. The refrigerated goods shelves 8 can be designed as a shelf with different depths and width dimensions. The refrigerated goods shelves 8 can, however, also be bowl-shaped or cup-shaped, so that small parts, for example tubes, films, medicines, etc., can be accommodated in an orderly manner.

The refrigerated goods shelves 8, which are shortened laterally or in width and possibly in depth, need to be attached to the Guide strips 4 are only to be provided on one side with holding means 10 which engage behind the respective guide strip 4 with the undercut edge 6 assigned to it. These holding means 10 extend in the longitudinal direction of the guide bar 4 and together with this guide bar 4 form a hook connection. For this purpose, the holding means 10 is formed on a vertical support wall 11 in each of the shortened refrigerated goods shelves 8. In addition, the holding means is provided with a guide web 12 which is seated on the guide bar 4 and which projects horizontally beyond the contour of the refrigerated goods tray 8 or its support wall 11. In addition, the hook 12 has a hook leg 13 directed parallel to the adjacent side wall 3 of the inner container 2, which extends to the side wall 3. The holding means 10 thus engages behind the undercut edge 6 on the support bar 7 in the upper area with the hook 12, while the lower area rests on the guide bar 4 via the guide web 24. With light, small refrigerated goods shelves 8, the supporting force with which the hook leg 13 is supported on the side wall 3 is sufficient to prevent the refrigerated goods shelf 8 from tipping over. Preferably, however, the vertical support wall 11 is extended downward via the guide web 24, so that it is supported as a tilt protection when loaded on the end face of the associated guide bar 4 or other guide bars 4 arranged below it.

In this embodiment, the refrigerated goods shelf with the holding means 10 can be inserted horizontally from the open side of the inner container 3 into the guide bar with the associated undercut edge 6 in the horizontal direction. However, the refrigerated goods tray 8 can also be tilted upwards at its free end when the hook 12 is directed upward, so that the hook 12 can engage the undercut edge 6 on the support bar 7 before insertion of the guide bar 24 with the associated guide bar 4. By pivoting the free end of the refrigerated goods tray 8, the guide web 24 then comes to rest on the guide bar 4. The refrigerated goods shelf 8 is thus also held securely. The one from the handle and the Guide bar with the support bar formed hook connection can also be dovetail-shaped in cross-section, so that it can be fitted as a sliding guide only from the open side of the inner container.

In the present case, the guide strips 4 are formed in one piece with the side wall 3 of the inner container. However, it is also possible to form the guide strips 4 according to FIG. 7 on a molded part 14 which is fastened separately to the respective side wall 3. In addition, the holding means 10 are hollow behind the hook leg 13 and thus create an open recessed grip so that the refrigerated goods shelf 8 is easy to handle when it is not inserted into a guide bar 4. The holding means 10 can otherwise extend continuously over the length of the supporting support wall 11 or consist of several sections which are in alignment and are arranged at a distance from one another.

The refrigerated goods shelf 8 can be designed as a bowl or cup, as shown in particular in FIGS. 3 and 4. It can be used to store small goods to be cooled, and a cover which can be closed if necessary can be provided when used for medicine and tablets.

If the refrigerated goods shelf 8 is designed as a horizontal plate, as shown in particular in FIG. 5, then a vertical side wall 11 carrying the holding means 10 is expediently molded onto the plate, which in particular points vertically downwards. In this case, a one-piece, angled U-shaped support bracket 16 is preferably fixed for stiffening under the plate, which runs along the outer edge of the plate and after angling its free ends on the vertical side wall 11. To attach the support bracket 16, locking webs 17 are formed on the plate as on the vertical side wall 11, behind which the legs of the support bracket 16 are snapped. The end faces of the angled leg sections are tight on a shoulder 18, so that a parallel displacement of the support bracket 16 to the support wall 11 is prevented in the vertical direction. Here, the support wall 11 also extends at least into the area of the guide bar 4 associated with the holding element 10, but preferably over two of these support webs 4. As a result, the contact force with which the support wall 11 presses against the guide bars is reduced in accordance with the lever laws.

According to FIG. 7, the molded part 14 is designed as a separate component and can be screwed onto the side walls 3 of the inner container 2. This molded part has a plurality of horizontally running guide strips 4 arranged one below the other, to each of which a downwardly directed support strip with an undercut edge 6 is formed on the inside end. Using a refrigerated goods shelf 8 shown in dashed lines, it is shown how the associated holding element 10 can be guided from below with the hook behind the undercut edge 6 by inclining the same, so that the guide web 24 then lies in contact with the guide bar 4 by lowering the refrigerated goods shelf 8 arrives without the hook 12 disengaging from the undercut edge 6. If the undercut edge 6 extends over the entire length of the guide bar 4, the refrigerated goods tray 8 can also be pulled out in the longitudinal direction of the guide bar 4 to open the inner container or inserted from there.

According to FIG. 8, a holding element 10 which is essentially hammer-head-shaped in cross section is formed on the refrigerated goods shelf 8, the downward-pointing leg of which is likewise arranged at a distance from the supporting wall 11 and thus forms a recessed grip 15.

Claims (6)

1. Refrigerator or freezer cabinet with at least one laterally shortened chilled goods depository (8), which has holding means (10) only on one side for reversible engagement with horizontal guide rails (4) disposed parallel to one another on vertical side walls of an inner container and associated with downward-facing undercut edges (6), under which in turn the holding means (10) engage, characterised in that the holding means (10) is formed as a hook (12), in that the hook (12) is oriented upwards, in that the hook (13) has a hook flange (13) which is oriented parallel to the side wall (3), is disposed on a guide web (24) projecting horizontally beyond the contour of the chilled goods depository (8) and abuts the side wall (3) between two adjacent guide rails (4) disposed one above another, in that the hook (12) has in its lower region the guide web (24) which rests on the lower guide rail (4), in that the clear distance between the undercut edge (6) and the lower guide rail (4) is smaller than the total height of the hook (12), and in that the holding means (10) extends in the longitudinal direction of the guide rails (4) and is hollow behind the hook flange (13) so as to form an open grip recess (15).
2. Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide rails (4) are integrally formed with the side wall (3).
3. Refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the holding means (10) is provided laterally on a vertical supporting wall (11) of the chilled goods depository (8), in that the supporting wall (11) ends below the holding means (10), and in that at least one of the remaining guide rails (4) provided on the side wall (3) extends into the supporting wall (11).
4. Refrigerator according to claim 3, characterised in that the chilled goods depository (8) is formed as a horizontal tray, on which the vertical supporting wall (11) carrying the holding means (10) is provided, and in that a one-piece, bent-back support bracket (16) is fixed to the supporting wall (11).
5. Refrigerator according to claim 4, characterised in that the support bracket (16) is U-shaped and engages under the edge region of the tray, and in that the free ends of the U-flange are bent back parallel to the vertical supporting wall (11).
6. Refrigerator according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that catch webs (17) are integrally formed on the chilled goods depository (8) to hold the support bracket (16).

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