EP1269093A1

EP1269093A1 - Refrigeration device

Info

Publication number: EP1269093A1
Application number: EP01931480A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario Kaiser
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2000-03-28
Filing date: 2001-02-23
Publication date: 2003-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2021-02-23
Also published as: EP1269093B1; DE10015424A1; DE50107489D1; AU2001258249B2; AU5824901A; ES2249429T3; WO2001073361A1; ATE305121T1

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration device (10) comprising a storage compartment (22) which is mounted on rollers and can be pulled out of the housing (11) of the refrigeration device. The problem with known refrigeration devices (10) is that the storage compartment (22), after being pulled out approximately halfway, opens independently to its full extent, colliding audibly with an end stop. To prevent an inadequacy of this type, the invention is characterized in that the guide tracks (35) are configured as two oblique planes (36) of differing lengths that are interconnected, whereby the longer oblique plane causes the storage compartment to close independently.

Description

Kaltegerat

The invention relates to a refrigerator, such as a refrigerator, a fridge-freezer or the like, with a heat-insulating housing, within which a cooling space with at least one drawer-like storage compartment is provided, which has a door and which on its two long sides on the basis of at least approximately rollers arranged opposite each other in pairs are movably supported, rollers arranged on the storage compartment leading in the direction of insertion of the storage compartment and stationary at least approximately in the vicinity of the access opening to the cooling space, each of which is supported in a rolling manner on a correspondingly assigned guideway.

In the case of cooling devices, it is known to equip refrigeration compartments with storage compartments guided in the manner of drawers, on the front side of which a door is provided for closing the refrigeration compartment. These storage compartments, which can be pulled out like drawers, have proven to be customer-friendly, particularly with regard to loading them with refrigerated goods. However, in the known storage compartments of this type, the problem has become apparent that the drawer-like storage compartment opens fully automatically with an extension path of approximately 50%. During this opening process, it can also happen that the storage compartment is accelerated relatively strongly in the opening direction and runs against the end stop at the final speed that is reached, thereby causing an unpleasant stop noise. In addition, when driving against the end stop there is a risk that the refrigerated goods placed in the storage compartment will hit each other or fall apart and thus, U. takes damage.

The invention has for its object to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art in a refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1 with simple design measures.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that at least one of the guideways has two adjoining inclined planes of different lengths, which form a vertex at the connection point, with respect to the of the top of the inclined plane exerts a driving force on the storage compartment to the refrigerator.

The inventive design of at least one of the guideways divides the extension path of the storage compartment that is determined by it into two differently long path sections formed by ramp-like inclines, of which a defined automatic opening into its end position with a defined and shortened position is only overcome after the longer path section has been overcome Acceleration distance is effected. Due to the deliberately created opening of the storage compartment up to its end stop, an at least substantially predeterminable final speed occurs for the storage compartment, which, owing to the shortening of the path, is significantly lower than the final speed which occurs in drawer-like storage compartments which are made according to the prior art. In addition, the different length dimensions of the inclined planes mean that the storage compartment is automatically moved back into its closed position in the majority of opening cases and is therefore energy-efficient for the refrigeration appliance, the closing speed of the storage compartment being particularly simple due to the inclined position of the longer one Guideway and its length can be influenced. Furthermore, the crest-like, reversing connection of the two inclined planes means that the operator of the storage compartment is relatively clearly signaled that the vertex serving as the reversal point has been exceeded, and the operator thus receives clear information as to which opening position of the storage compartment either resets it in its Closed position or is forced into its open position.

In each loading condition of the storage compartment, a particularly secure opening and closing is achieved by means of the guideways in the form of inclined planes if, according to a preferred embodiment of the object of the invention, it is provided that the adjoining inclined planes are supported on two rollers which are arranged at the same height serving guideways are provided.

According to a next preferred embodiment, in the case of a refrigeration device with guideways provided on the side walls of the cooling space, which are provided with a toothed rod-like toothing are provided, in which two at least approximately rigidly coupled, at least axially opposite, with an external toothing of the same pitch circle diameter are provided, which are formed by the leading rollers, it is provided that the two inclined planes are arranged on the side of the storage compartment Guideways are provided.

The arrangement of the guideways on the storage compartment means that they are particularly simple and targeted to match the respective storage compartment with regard to its extension path and its capacity, both in terms of the length and the inclination of the inclined planes.

The guideways composed of different lengths of inclined planes are particularly easy to manufacture if, according to a further advantageous embodiment of the object of the invention, it is provided that the guideways with different lengths of inclined planes on the storage compartment on the longitudinal sides thereof, on the underside of spar-like supporting elements are arranged.

The movement of the storage compartment caused by the inclined planes is particularly uniform if, according to a next preferred embodiment of the object of the invention, it is provided that the inclined planes have at least essentially the same angle of attack with respect to a horizontal.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, it is provided that the shorter, oblique plane is followed by an at least approximately horizontally arranged guide section.

As a result of the direct connection of the horizontal guide section to the shorter inclined plane which brings about the complete opening of the storage compartment after the apex has been passed, an outlet path is created for the storage compartment on the guideway actuated by the inclined plane, for the running roller supported on the guideway, thereby accelerating the storage compartment up to the end stop limiting its extension path is avoided, so that the automatic opening movement is at least largely silent.

The length of the inclined planes is particularly expedient if, according to a further preferred embodiment of the object of the invention, it is provided that the adjoining inclined planes and the horizontal guide section at least essentially define the extension path of the storage compartment.

According to a next preferred embodiment of the object of the invention it is provided that the longer inclined plane has a length in the range between 50% to 90% but preferably 80% of the extension path of the storage compartment.

Such a division of length between the shorter inclined plane and the longer inclined plane ensures, on the one hand, in the predominant cases of operating the storage compartment according to the invention that it is automatically moved into its closed position after an opening operation. On the other hand, the unequal division of length between the shorter and longer oblique plane in favor of the latter has the advantage that an operator supports the closing movement by the longer oblique when moving the storage compartment from its open and closed positions after overcoming the shorter, shorter oblique plane Experience level when closing the storage compartment.

The drawer-like storage compartment is held particularly securely within the horizontal guide section defining the open position of the storage compartment if, according to a last preferred embodiment of the object of the invention, it is provided that a catch is provided at the transition between the shorter inclined plane and the horizontal guide section.

The invention is explained in the following description with reference to two exemplary embodiments shown in simplified form in the drawing.

Show it: Fig. 1 in a simplified schematic representation in a first embodiment of the lower section of a multi-temperature household cooling device in side view, with a door having a drawer-like movable by means of rollers guided storage compartment, on the side rails formed on the underside of two different lengths of inclined planes

Guideways are provided,

Fig. 2, the storage compartment with the guideways for the rollers, in spatial

View from above,

3 the upper section of the storage compartment with the guideways arranged on the underside of the side rails and formed by the inclined planes, viewed from the side,

Fig. 4 in a simplified schematic representation of the lower section of a

Multi-temperature household cooling device in a second embodiment in side view with a drawer-like storage compartment which has a door and is movable by means of rollers, the rollers of which are supported on guide tracks designed as inclined planes by guide rails provided on the side walls of the cooling space

Fig. 5, the storage compartment with the guide rail for the rollers, in spatial

Top view and

6 shows one of the guide rails according to FIG. 4, in a front view.

1 shows a simplified schematic illustration of the lower section of a multi-temperature household cooling device 10 with a heat-insulating housing 11, which has an outer cladding 12, a thermal insulation layer 13 produced by foaming, and a chipless-shaped inner cladding 15 which serves to line a cooling chamber 14. This is at their opposite

Sidewalls 16 (only one of them is shown) with spaced-apart guides that are U-shaped in cross section and inserted into the sidewalls 16 tion profiles provided, of which the guide profile 17 arranged in a lower position in the cooling space 14 has a smooth-surface guide track 19 on its U-profile leg 18 which is arranged lower in the installed state. Opposite the guideway 19, the guide profile 17 has on its second leg 20 a rack-like counter toothing 21, which faces the guideway 19

Inside of the leg 20 is integrally formed with the guide profile 17 made of plastic injection molding.

The counter-toothing 21 serves for the parallel guidance of a storage compartment 22 which can be pulled out like a drawer from the cooling space 14, on the front side of which a heat-insulating door 23 is provided which serves to close the cooling space 14 and which runs all around on its inside facing the cooling compartment 14 and on the side edges thereof a magnetic seal 24 is equipped. In the closed state of the door 23, this lies sealingly on the opening edge of the cooling space 14. The storage compartment 22 is equipped at its free upper end of its walls bordering the compartment with a frame-like border 25, which consists of spar-like interconnected

Sections is built. Of these spar-like sections, the section remote from the door is designed as a cross bar 26 with bearing receptacles 27 arranged in the vicinity of its lateral end sections for rotatably mounting an axle 28. At the free, laterally opposite the cross member 26 protruding ends of the axis 28, a roller 29 is fixed against rotation. The roller 29 has a rolling surface 30 with a smooth surface, to which a roller section 31 arranged adjacent to it is integrally connected, which has an external toothing 32, the tooth module of which is matched to the tooth module of the counter toothing 21. Opposite the cross member 26, the surround 25 has a further cross member 33, which serves to fasten the door 23 to the storage compartment 22. Between the two spaced-apart cross bars 26 and 33, longitudinal bars 34 are provided on the side of the storage compartment 22 and are equipped with a smooth-surface guide track 35 on their lower bar side.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, the guideway 35 is divided into four longitudinal sections, of which a first section formed as an inclined plane 36 between a log 37 serving as a reversal point and one at the end on the door side of the storage compartment 22 arranged, serving as a delay path horizontal section 38. The inclined plane 36, which rises continuously from the door-side end of the storage compartment 20 to the apex 37, takes up approximately 80% of the extension path of the storage compartment 22 made possible by the guide track 35. At the apex 37, the inclined plane 36 is connected to a second inclined plane 39.

The inclined plane 39 with the length I extends from the apex 37 to a delay path serving as a rest 40 and falls continuously from the apex 37 to the rest 40. The detent 40 forms a transition from the inclined plane 39 to a horizontal guide section 41 which, together with the inclined planes 36 and 39, defines the length of the guideway 35.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the guideways 35 provided on the side rails 34 serve to support the storage compartment 22 on rollers 42 provided in the region of the access opening to the cooling space 14 on both side walls 16, which have a smooth-surface rolling path with which the rollers can be located 42 support on the guideway 35.

The rollers 42, which are arranged at the same height and depth at the opening edge of the cooling chamber 14, together with the rollers 29 mounted on the axle 28, serve to support and guide the storage compartment 22, the externally toothed rollers 29 to achieve a straight guide for the storage compartment 22 with the counter-toothing 21 in Stand in engagement while the rollers 42 engage the guideway 35.

In the illustration shown in FIG. 1, the storage compartment 22, which can be moved like a drawer in the direction of the double arrow, is in its open position, in which the rollers 42 are still supported on the shorter inclined plane 39. The storage compartment 22 is automatically transported into its open position after overcoming the apex 37 through the inclined plane 39, the storage compartment 22 being delayed or brought to a standstill within the guide section 41. If the user remains in his pull-out movement in the pull-out direction of the storage compartment 22 in front of the apex 37, the storage compartment 22 is automatically brought into its rest position in the cooling space 14 by the inclined plane 36. In this position, the rollers 42 are located within the horizontal section 38 serving as a deceleration path. FIG. 4 shows a simplified schematic illustration of the lower section of a multi-temperature household cooling device 50 with a second embodiment of the invention. Like the cooling device 10, the cooling device 50 has a heat-insulating housing 51 with an outer cladding 52, a heat insulation layer 53 produced by foaming, and a chipless-shaped inner cladding 55 that serves to line a cooling space 54. The lateral wall sections of the inner cladding 55 serve as side walls 56 of the Cooling space 54. On the side walls 56 (only one of which is shown), guide profiles 57 are arranged at a distance above one another, U-shaped in cross section and inserted into the side walls 56. These are U-shaped in cross-section and have an insertion and positioning aid 58 on their door-side end for externally toothed rollers explained in more detail below. The insertion and positioning aid 58 is followed by a guide section 59, which on the inside of its U-profile leg 60, which is arranged higher in the installed position of the guide profile 57, is equipped with a rack-like counter toothing 61.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, the counter toothing 61 is essentially divided into two longitudinal sections, of which a first longitudinal section extends from the insertion and positioning aid 58 to a vertex 62 and as an inclined plane which rises continuously up to the vertex 62 63 is formed, which extends from the apex 62 to a region of curvature of the insertion and positioning aid 58. The inclined plane 63 is adjoined at the apex 62 by a second inclined plane 64, which occupies at least 80% of the length of the counter-toothing 61 and which, starting from the apex 62 up to its free end, is designed to fall continuously. Compared to the counter-toothing 61, the guide section 59 on the inside of its leg 65, which is lower in the installed position of the guide profile 57, is equipped with a smooth-surface guide track 66, which is also divided in terms of its length into two sections of different lengths, of which a first, as an inclined plane 67 trained section extends from the insertion and positioning aid 58 to a vertex 68 and is formed continuously rising towards this. The apex 68, which is perpendicular to the apex 62, serves as a connection to a second inclined plane 69 which approximately 80% of the total length of the guideway 66 takes and which is formed continuously falling from the apex 68 to its free end.

The guide profiles 57 serve to guide a storage compartment 70 which can be moved in the direction of a double arrow and is equipped with a frame-like surround 71 at its access opening. The frame-like surround 71 is composed of four spar sections, of which the spar section leading in the direction of insertion into the cooling space 54 serves as a transverse spar 72, on which an axis 74 is rotatably supported by means of a bearing receptacle 73 provided on the free ends of the transverse spar 72. At its free ends projecting from the free ends of the crossbar 72, the axle 74 carries a roller 75, which is connected to the axle 74 in a manner such that it cannot rotate, which has a roller section 76 with a smooth-faced rolling track 77 and an integral roller section 78, which is connected to it The outer surface is equipped with an external toothing 79, the tooth module of which is matched to the tooth pulse of the counter toothing 61. Perpendicular to the cross bar 72, longitudinal bars 80 are provided on the side of the storage compartment 70 and are provided on their underside with a smooth-surface guideway 81. The longitudinal bars 80 serve as connecting elements between the cross bar 72 and a further cross bar 82 lagging in the direction of insertion of the storage compartment 70, which serves as a carrier for a heat-insulating door 83. The door 83 is arranged on its inside facing the cooling space 54 with a circumferential edge

Magnetic seal 84 equipped.

As shown in FIG. 4 in particular, the storage compartment 70 is supported in the assembled state, on the one hand, by the externally toothed rollers 75 engaging in the counter-toothing 61 and, on the other hand, by rollers 85 which are arranged in a fixed manner on the opening edge of the cooling space 54 and interact with the guide tracks 81 and in the direction of the Double arrow guided movable. When the storage compartment is moved from its loading position shown in FIG. 4 and moved out of the cooling space 54 back into the cooling space 54, the externally toothed roller section 78 or the smooth-surface roller section 76 engages with the shorter inclined plane 63 or 67, which is continuous falling from the apex 62 or 68 to the opening edge of the cooling space 54 are arranged. In this way, the storage compartment is automatically pushed into its Opening accelerates when the apex 62 or 68 is exceeded in the pull-out direction of the storage compartment 70. When the storage compartment 70 is moved into its rest position within the cooling space 54, the storage compartment 70 is automatically pushed into its rest position in which the door 83 is in its closed position after the apex 62 or 68 has been exceeded because of the longer inclined planes 64 and 69, in which the magnetic seal 84 lies sealingly on the opening edge of the cooling space 54.

Claims

claims

1. Refrigeration device, such as a refrigerator, a refrigerator and freezer combination or the like, with a heat-insulating housing, within which a cooling space with at least one drawer-like storage compartment is provided, which has a door and that on its two long sides on the basis of at least approximately pairs of oppositely arranged rollers is movably supported, rollers arranged on the storage compartment leading in the direction of insertion of the storage compartment and stationary at least approximately in the

In the vicinity of the access opening to the cooling space, rollers are provided, each of which is supported on a correspondingly assigned guideway, characterized in that at least one of the guideways (35, 61, 66) has two adjoining inclined planes (36, 38; 63, 64; 67, 69) of different lengths, which form an apex (37, 62, 68) at the connection point, the oblique plane (36, 63, 69), which is longer in relation to the apex (37, 62, 68), being a driving one Applies force to the storage compartment (22, 70) towards the cooling room (14, 54).

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjoining inclined planes (36, 38; 63, 64; 67, 69) on two guideways (35, 61) serving to support rollers (41, 75) which are arranged at the same height , 66) are provided.

3.Refrigerator with guideways provided on the side walls of the cooling space, which are provided with a rack-like toothing, on which two at least approximately rigidly coupled, at least axially opposite, with external toothing of the same pitch circle diameter, rollers which are formed by the leading rollers are, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two inclined planes (36, 38) are provided on the side of the storage compartment (22) arranged guideways (35).

4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the guideways (35) with the differently long oblique planes (36, 38) on the storage compartment (22) on the lateral longitudinal sides, on the underside of spar-like support elements (34) are arranged.

5. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the inclined planes (36, 38; 63, 64; 67, 69) have at least substantially the same angle of inclination with respect to a horizontal.

6. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the longer oblique plane (36) with respect to the apex (37) is preceded by a horizontal section (38).

7. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the shorter oblique plane (38) with respect to the apex (37) is followed by an at least approximately horizontally arranged guide section (40).

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the adjoining inclined planes (36, 38) and the horizontal guide section (40) at least substantially define the extension path of the storage compartment (22).

9. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the longer inclined plane (36, 64, 69) has a length in the range between 50% to 90

% but preferably 80% of the extension path of the storage compartment (22, 70).

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that a catch (39) is provided at the transition between the shorter inclined plane (38) and the horizontal guide section (40).