EP1030141B1 - Refrigerator with dispenser for cans or bottles of drinks or beverages in general - Google Patents

Refrigerator with dispenser for cans or bottles of drinks or beverages in general Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1030141B1
EP1030141B1 EP20000102330 EP00102330A EP1030141B1 EP 1030141 B1 EP1030141 B1 EP 1030141B1 EP 20000102330 EP20000102330 EP 20000102330 EP 00102330 A EP00102330 A EP 00102330A EP 1030141 B1 EP1030141 B1 EP 1030141B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
refrigerator
dispenser
drink
housing
containers
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP20000102330
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1030141A3 (en
EP1030141A2 (en
Inventor
c/o Whirlpool Europe Patent Dept. Gatti Giovanni
Luigi c/o Whirlpool Europe Patent Dept. Sessa
Lorenzo c/o Whirlpool Europe Patent Dep Anselmi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whirlpool Corp
Original Assignee
Whirlpool Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whirlpool Corp filed Critical Whirlpool Corp
Publication of EP1030141A2 publication Critical patent/EP1030141A2/en
Publication of EP1030141A3 publication Critical patent/EP1030141A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1030141B1 publication Critical patent/EP1030141B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/02—Doors; Covers
    • F25D23/04—Doors; Covers with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
    • A47F1/00—Racks for dispensing merchandise; Containers for dispensing merchandise
    • A47F1/04—Racks or containers with arrangements for dispensing articles, e.g. by means of gravity or springs
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
    • F25D2331/803—Bottles
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
    • F25D2331/805—Cans
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a refrigerator in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
  • a refrigerator is known from document US 2 826 471.
  • a refrigerator door liner is known to comprise several trays for supporting foods or their containers. Bottles, cans or other drink or beverage containers can also be stored on these trays. However on account of their shape and size, these containers occupy considerable space on the trays (at the expense of foods) and are often in unstable equilibrium, because of which they may fall on opening the door. Such containers are sometimes held on the usual shelves of the refrigerator preservation compartment or on trays associated with these shelves. However in this case such containers occupy space which could be used in another manner and in particular may not lie securely on these shelves because their shape and size may be such that they are able to move about thereon as they are not retained by appropriate elements.
  • An object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerator in which the generally (but not necessarily) small drink or beverage cans or bottles can be stored securely and be easily removed by the user.
  • a further object is to provide a refrigerator of the aforesaid type the structure of which is such that it can be produced without industrial modification to known refrigerator production systems.
  • a refrigerator is indicated overall by 1 and comprises a cabinet 2 carrying a door 3 which closes a known food preservation compartment 4.
  • the door 3 comprises a door liner 5 which when the door is closed is positioned in front of the compartment 4.
  • a dispenser 11 for drink or beverage cans or bottles 12 is associated with the door liner 5 and is positioned on the elements 10 to the side of the trays 8.
  • the dispenser 11 comprises a housing 13 defining a compartment or vessel for containing said containers 12 (which hereinafter are indicated for simplicity as "cans"), and having lateral fins 14 arranged to cooperate with the support elements 10 in such a manner as to be supported by them.
  • These fins project from side walls 15 (from which stiffening elements 19 also project) connected together by a wall 16 which, when the housing 13 is mounted on the door liner, is substantially parallel to this latter.
  • This interconnecting wall 16 has a longitudinal window 17 provided in a part 18 recessed towards the interior of the housing 13.
  • the wall 16 comprises parallel spaced-apart guides 20 closed lowerly by a wall 21 and arranged to receive the edges 22 of an element 23 able to support the cans 12 spaced apart and without them rattling.
  • This element consists of a body 24, from a wall 25 of which there project a plurality of flexible fins 26 constructed of soft material, such as rubber, as is preferably the entire element 23. These fins are associated with a central raised portion 27 of the wall 25.
  • the body 24 comprises lateral elements 30, between which a longitudinal window 31 is provided in a position corresponding with said portion 27. When the dispenser 11 is assembled, this window lies in a position corresponding with the window 17 in the housing 13, to give visual access to the dispenser.
  • the housing 13 is open upperly at 13A (with reference to the figures), having for most of its length a substantially U cross-section.
  • This housing lowerly comprises a part 33 acting as a support member for a can to be withdrawn from the dispenser 11 by the user via an aperture 34 provided in the wall 16, at the bottom of the housing 13.
  • a covering element 35 preferably of a soft material (for example rubber), on which the can rests before being withdrawn from the dispenser 11, is provided on the wall 33 substantially perpendicular to the wall 16 and perpendicular to the side walls 15.
  • the element 35 comprises a plurality of pins 37 to be inserted into seats 38 provided in the wall 33, to secure it to this wall.
  • the dispenser 11 When the dispenser 11 has been assembled, it is positioned on the elements 10 of the door liner 5 in place of trays present on it.
  • This dispenser is hence a totally independent refrigerator element in terms of its marketing, enabling the user to equip his own refrigerator with the dispenser after the refrigerator has been acquired.
  • the cans are placed in the dispenser by dropping them through the aperture 13A in the housing 13. These cans fall onto the fins 26, which are able to retain or guide each can without preventing its descent within the dispenser, but instead obstructing its free fall onto the wall 33, which could cause it to leave the dispenser.
  • the fins which support the can flex to allow it to fall smoothly downwards towards the wall 33, those fins then receiving the overlying can.
  • the dispenser 11 contains a number of cans, or when the lower can rests on the support member 33, the user can extract the desired drink from it through the aperture 34. By virtue of its own weight, the overlying can then automatically falls softly onto the member 33 ready for removal.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
  • Freezers Or Refrigerated Showcases (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
EP20000102330 1999-02-19 2000-02-03 Refrigerator with dispenser for cans or bottles of drinks or beverages in general Expired - Lifetime EP1030141B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT1999MI000098 IT246537Y1 (it) 1999-02-19 1999-02-19 Refrigeratore con dispensatore di lattine o bottiglie di bibite o bevande in genere
ITMI990098 1999-02-19

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1030141A2 EP1030141A2 (en) 2000-08-23
EP1030141A3 EP1030141A3 (en) 2002-06-12
EP1030141B1 true EP1030141B1 (en) 2005-10-05

Family

ID=11381556

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20000102330 Expired - Lifetime EP1030141B1 (en) 1999-02-19 2000-02-03 Refrigerator with dispenser for cans or bottles of drinks or beverages in general

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1030141B1 (it)
DE (1) DE60022926T2 (it)
ES (1) ES2246758T3 (it)
IT (1) IT246537Y1 (it)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BR0204561B1 (pt) * 2002-10-18 2011-10-18 arranjo de acessórios para porta de refrigerador e porta-latas para refrigerador.
EP1711761B1 (en) * 2003-12-15 2010-01-20 Arcelik Anonim Sirketi A cooling device
DE102004042567A1 (de) 2004-09-02 2006-03-09 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Kältegerät
KR100875427B1 (ko) * 2007-07-27 2008-12-23 엘지전자 주식회사 냉장고의 캔 수납장치
US9400132B2 (en) 2014-04-11 2016-07-26 Electrolux Home Products, Inc. Refrigerator, insulated door mounted on an insulated cabinet of a refrigerator, and article dispenser for mounting within one or more recesses of an inner wall of a refrigerator door
DE102017205060A1 (de) 2017-03-24 2018-09-27 BSH Hausgeräte GmbH Kältegerät mit einer Spendereinrichtung
US11808515B2 (en) * 2022-03-04 2023-11-07 Bsh Home Appliances Corporation Can dispenser rack for refrigerator door

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2826471A (en) * 1953-09-22 1958-03-11 Gen Electric Frozen fruit juice dispenser
US2959936A (en) * 1958-04-01 1960-11-15 Gen Motors Corp Refrigerating apparatus
DE8105150U1 (de) * 1981-02-24 1982-09-02 Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, 7000 Stuttgart Kuehlschranktuer mit an deren innenseite, zwischen nach innen vorstehenden seitenwangen loesbar angebrachten kuehlgutablagen
US5071006A (en) * 1990-11-05 1991-12-10 Neace Jr Everett L Container support cartridge

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT246537Y1 (it) 2002-04-09
DE60022926D1 (de) 2006-02-16
ES2246758T3 (es) 2006-03-01
DE60022926T2 (de) 2006-06-29
ITMI990098U1 (it) 2000-08-19
ITMI990098V0 (it) 1999-02-19
EP1030141A3 (en) 2002-06-12
EP1030141A2 (en) 2000-08-23

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