EP1387991B1 - Compartment divider - Google Patents

Abstract

A compartment divider (6) for a pull-out box (4) or a door compartment in a fridge, comprises a divider plate (7) and a slide (8), fixed to one of the lateral edges of the divider plate. In order to locate a bottle (5) lying on the upper edge of the divider plate (7), the upper edge of the divider plate (7) is provided with at least one recess (9).

Description

The present invention relates to a separable compartment divider according to the preamble of claim 1 and its applications. More specifically, it relates to a compartment divider having a divider plate and a rider attached to a side edge of the divider plate, which is suitable for dividing pull-out boxes or door storage compartments in a refrigerator, and a drawer and a door storage compartment, which are equipped with such a divider.

Such a divider is out JP 03091681 known.

It is also known to use a compartment divider with a divider plate and a rider attached to a side edge of the divider plate for dividing door storage compartments in refrigerators.

Such dividers have only a regulatory function, their presence does not lead to a more effective use of space in the sense that due to their presence more refrigerated goods could be accommodated in a refrigerator. On the contrary, the capacity of a door storage compartment in a refrigerator is generally greater when no compartment divider is present therein, because it is then possible to place bottles whose diameter does not reach the width of the storage compartment in a zigzag arrangement in which they partially in the width direction overlap. A compartment divider excludes such an overlap.

In recent years, the soft drinks industry has increasingly offered drinks in very large bottle formats of typically 1.5 or 2 liters, the provision of which poses difficulties in household refrigerators. The dimensions of the door storage compartments are conventionally tailored to accommodate bottles with a volume of up to 1.0 liter. If a bottle of larger volume is to be accommodated in a door storage compartment, it must not be wider than the conventional bottles for which the compartment is designed, it can therefore only be higher. Beverage bottles of PET with such a diameter and a volume of 1.5 l are on the market. Their increased height compared to conventional 1.0 I or 0.7 I glass bottles forces them to stand in one Door storage compartment to be stored on the inside of the door of a refrigerator, to increase the vertical distance of the bottle receiving door storage compartment to an overlying door storage compartment. But since usually only a few bottles with such a height can be accommodated simultaneously, this leads to an uneconomical use of space in the refrigerator.

2I PET bottles generally have a diameter such that they no longer fit in a door storage compartment. Consumers are therefore forced to accommodate such bottles lying on a storage tray inside the refrigerator. There is a risk that an open, incompletely closed bottle runs out and the contents are distributed in the refrigerator.

The object of the present invention is to specify a compartment divider which enables economical space utilization and safe storage of the bottles, in particular when large beverage bottles are stored in a refrigeration device.

The object is achieved by a compartment divider with the feature of claim 1. Such a divider allows the inclined storage of a bottle, which is secured by resting in the cutout of the upper edge of the divider plate against lateral rolling away. The inclination of the bottle with a fixable by the placement of the divider, variable inclination angle allows the placement of a bottle in a door storage compartment or in a pull-out box of a refrigerator, without the distance between the bottle receiving the door storage compartment and arranged above it greater than the height of the bottle or without the height of the pullout box having to correspond to the height of the bottle.

The rider of the compartment divider according to the invention preferably has a first U-profile section which extends transversely to the plane of the divider plate, and a gripping section, which facilitates the placement of the compartment divider and extending from a side facing away from the divider plate side of the first U-profile section extends in the plane of the divider plate.

This gripping portion is preferably formed as a second U-profile section. With the help of this second U-profile section, it is possible a plurality of divider plates in Connecting longitudinally together and so to form partitions that are longer than the length of a single splitter plate corresponds.

In an analogous manner, the first U-profile section can also be firmly plugged onto the divider plate of another divider according to the invention, so as to form divisional sections which extend in a plurality of mutually orthogonal directions.

Preferably, the divider plate also has at least one cutout on a lower edge, in particular the number of cutouts at the upper edge and the lower edge of the divider plate should be different and e.g. 1 or 2 amount. Such a divider can, depending on which of the two edges is oriented upwardly mounted in a compartment, carry a large or two small bottles in a secured against lateral rolling oblique or horizontal orientation.

Furthermore, it is expedient for the first U-profile section to have a roughening or corrugation on at least one inner surface. This roughening or corrugation is pressed by the weight of a resting on the upper edge of the divider plate bottle against a wall or other support on which the first U-profile section is attached, whereby the carrier is prevented from laterally evade under the pressure of the bottle ,

The invention also provides a drawer for a refrigerator, which is divided by at least one compartment divider of the type defined above. Such a divider is expediently attachable to at least one side wall of the pull-out box. In this case, its height corresponding to the side wall, so that the lower edge of a loaded compartment divider is able to be supported on the bottom of the pull-out box. According to another variant, the height of the divider plate is smaller than the height of the side wall, so that even large objects can be stored horizontally below the lower edge of the divider plate in the drawer.

Preferably, such a drawer is divided into at least one high-walled compartment and a low-walled compartment, and the at least one compartment divider is mountable on at least one wall of the low compartment to divide it. This allows the use of the high-walled compartment in a conventional manner for storage of vegetables or other loose objects, whereas the low-walled compartment is more adapted to the storage of bottles.

The low wall compartment should be dimensioned to be able to hold a bottle, especially a 1.5 I or 2 I beverage bottle, in an inclined position supported on the compartment divider. More precisely, the compartment should be dimensioned so that such a bottle does not survive anywhere on the escape of the side walls of the pull-out box, so that the pull-out box without difficulty in a space provided for this compartment of the refrigerator is inserted. Alternatively or additionally, the dimensions of the drawer can be selected so that a bottle of the above type can also be accommodated lying on two dividers.

• Figuren 1A, 1B das Prinzip der Erfindung anhand eines schematischen Schnitts durch einen Kühlschrank, einmal mit einer in herkömmlicher Weise stehend in einem unteren Fach untergebrachten großen Flasche, einmal mit einer von einem Fachteiler gemäß der Erfindung in Schräglage abgestützten Flasche;
• Figuren 2, 3, 4 verschiedene Ausgestaltungen des erfindungsgemäßen Fachteilers in einer Draufsicht auf die Teilerplatte;
• Figur 5 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Auszugkastens mit einem hochwandigen und einem niedrigwandigen Fach und einem an einer Seitenwand des niedrigwandigen Faches montierten Fachteiler;
• Figur 6 eine perspektivische Teilansicht des Auszugkastens aus Figur 5 mit einer in Schrägstellung gelagerten Flasche;
• Figur 7 eine teilweise geschnittene Teilansicht des Auszugkastens aus Figur 5 mit einer liegend gelagerten Flasche;
• Figur 8 eine Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Fachteilers von unten; und
• Figur 9 eine Draufsicht auf ein mit einer Mehrzahl von erfindungsgemäßen Fachteilern unterteittes Fach.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. Show it:

• FIGS. 1A, 1B the principle of the invention with reference to a schematic section through a refrigerator, once with a standing in a conventional manner in a lower compartment large bottle, once with a supported by a compartment divider according to the invention in an inclined bottle;
• FIGS. 2, 3, 4 various embodiments of the divider according to the invention in a plan view of the divider plate;
• FIG. 5 a perspective view of an extension box with a high-walled and a low-walled compartment and mounted on a side wall of the low-walled compartment divider;
• FIG. 6 a partial perspective view of the pull-out box FIG. 5 with a bottle stored in an inclined position;
• FIG. 7 a partially sectioned partial view of the pull-out box FIG. 5 with a lying bottle;
• FIG. 8 a view from below of a compartment divider according to the invention; and
• FIG. 9 a plan view of a subverted with a plurality of divider according to the invention compartment.

Figure 1A shows in a highly schematic section and with the door open the housing 1 of a refrigerator with a plurality of shelves 2, 3 for storing refrigerated goods. The storage area 3 is formed by the bottom of a pull-out box 4. In the drawer 4 is a large bottle 5, which requires a large distance between the storage area 3 and the next overlying storage area 2 in an upright position.

In case of FIG. 1B the drawer 4 is divided by a compartment divider 6 according to the invention, which allows to store the bottle 5 in an oblique, secured against lateral rolling position. In this position, the space required for storing the bottle between the shelves 2, 3 is reduced, so that the storage space 2 can accommodate larger objects than in the case of Figure 1A , This allows better utilization of the available storage space in the refrigerator.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a compartment divider according to the invention according to a first embodiment. The compartment divider 6 is essentially composed of a divider plate 7 of substantially rectangular shape and a rider 8 integrally formed on a corner of the divider plate 7 in the form of a downwardly open U-profile section which extends perpendicular to the plane of the figure. At an upper edge of the divider plate 7 two circular segment-shaped cutouts 9 are formed, whose position is chosen so that two circles with the same radius and center, shown in phantom in the figure, do not overlap each other. This divider plate 7 is capable of supporting two bottles respectively supported in the sipes 9 in an inclined position when the rider 8 is slipped onto the upper edge of a side wall of an extension box, a side wall of a door storage compartment or any other suitable stationary object.

The compartment divider 6 'of FIG. 3 is different from the one in FIG. 2 represented by the fact that only a single circular segment-shaped cutout 9 'of large diameter at the upper edge of the divider plate 7' is provided. This variant is intended in particular for the storage of large diameter 2I beverage bottles.

In the compartment divider 6 "of FIG. 4 In each case, a large cutout 9 'is formed on an upper edge and two small cutouts 9 are formed on a lower edge of the divider plate 7 " Divider plate 7 is provided at two diagonally opposite corners with riders 8, of which one can be plugged at the choice of the user on a suitable stationary support.

In a variant of the divider, not shown Fig. 4 one of the two tabs is omitted. In a compartment divider arrangement of later with reference to Fig. 9 more precisely explained type, such a divider in different orientations, either with the cutouts 9 having edge or the edge with the cutout 9 'upwards, are used.

According to a further variant, not shown, it can be provided that a divider plate of the type of divider plate 7 ", with cutouts 9, 9 'at the upper and lower edge, releasably connected to a rider, which optionally at the edge with the cutouts 9 or Section 9 'can be mounted.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an extract box 4 for a refrigerator, which is equipped with a compartment divider 6 according to the invention. The drawer 4 is divided into two compartments 10, 11, each having side walls 12, 13, 14 at different heights. The low side wall 14 of the compartment 10 extends parallel to the extension direction in which the drawer 4 is provided movably in a refrigerator. On an upper edge 15 of the side wall 14 of the compartment divider 6 is attached with its tab 8. In the presentation of the FIG. 5 The compartment divider 6 is used in a conventional manner for dividing the compartment 10 into a front area and a rear area in which, in the example shown here, two beverage containers which do not protrude beyond the upper edge of the high side walls 12 are accommodated upright.

FIG. 6 shows a partial perspective view of the pull-out box 4 FIG. 5 The compartment divider 6 does not extend to the bottom of the compartment 10, so that it remains possible despite the division of the compartment by the compartment divider 6, long items on the bottom of the compartment 10th accommodate, which can be pushed under the compartment divider 6 through to the vicinity of the foot of the bottle 5.

Since the compartment divider 6 must be able to absorb a large part of the weight of the bottle 5, it is necessary for the side wall 14 to have a higher load capacity at least in the region of its upper edge 15 than the other side walls 12, 13 of the pull-out box 4 especially in the partial section of FIG. 7 can be seen, be achieved in that the side wall 14 is constructed in two layers over a majority of its surface, wherein a layer, here the outer layer 16, with the rest of the pull-out box 4 can be integrally formed by plastic injection molding, and a separate inner Layer 17, which forms the upper edge 15 and which is made of a material with high strength and breaking strength such as a fiber-reinforced plastic or a metal, is attached to the inside of the outer layer 16 by gluing, ultrasonic welding or the like.

When viewing the FIG. 7 the upper edge 15 of the side wall 14 carries two compartment dividers 6, the cutouts of which form a firm, secured against lateral rolling support for a horizontal resting bottle 5 and are hidden in the figure of the bottle 5. In this type of accommodation of the bottle 5, the entire bottom of the compartment 10 is available for the accommodation of other refrigerated goods.

FIG. 8 shows a view from below of a compartment divider 6 "', opposite the compartment divider 6 of FIG. 2 evolved in several ways. On the one hand, on a side facing away from the divider plate 7 side of the rider 8, a gripping portion 18 is formed, which facilitates the movement of the compartment divider 6 '' along the upper edge 15.

On the other hand, a roughening in the form of a sawtooth profile is formed at the bottom of the groove 19, to which a complementary sawtooth profile may be provided at the upper edge 15 of the sidewall or sidewalls intended to support the compartment divider 6 '' Saw tooth profile prevents in case of storage of a bottle in inclined position, as in FIG. 6 shown that the compartment divider 6 "'is laterally displaced by the weight of the bottle and thereby further tilts than originally provided by the user.

Alternatively or in addition to such a roughening can be provided on the inner surface of the wall 14, a detent division, in which the divider plate of the compartment divider can each engage with an edge to prevent slippage of the compartment divider along the wall 14.

In addition, a second groove 20 extends perpendicular to the groove 19 through the gripping portion 18. The widths of the grooves 19, 20 are selected according to the thickness of the divider plate 7 so that in each case one edge of a divider plate of another divider divider are inserted into the groove 19 or 20 can and is firmly clamped in it. By in this way interconnectable compartment divider a compartment or a pull-out box can be divided into a plurality of sub-compartments, as based on a simple embodiment with only 4 compartment dividers in FIG. 9 shown. Two compartment dividers 25, 26 are fitted with their riders on the upper edge 27 of a side wall of the box. The corner of the divider plate 28 of the compartment divider 25, the diagonally opposite its rider 29, ie, a lower corner, engages in the groove of the gripping portion of a third compartment divider 30, the tab 31 is turned down and rests on the bottom of the pull-out box. The upper corner of the compartment divider 26 facing its rider 32 engages the groove of the rider of a fourth compartment divider 33 oriented at a right angle to the first three compartment dividers 25, 26, 30 and the lower edge thereof also through the groove of the rider 31 of the third compartment divider 30 extends. Other dividers, which are no longer shown and described, could be plugged into other places on the mentioned dividers or on the side walls of the subject. The compartment can be divided very flexibly in this way, it also being possible to form partial compartments with an edge length which is smaller than the length of the divider plates.

As can easily be seen, the compartment divider according to the invention is also useful to be plugged onto an upper edge of a door inner compartment of a refrigerator and thus to allow the angular storage of bottles in such a compartment. Of course, here are the same advantages in space utilization, as above with respect to Figures 1A and 1B explained.

Claims (14)

1. Clip-on compartment divider (6, 6', 6", 6"') comprising a divider plate (7, 7', 7") and a carrier (8) fastened to a lateral edge of the divider plate, characterised in that the divider plate (7, 7', 7") has at least one cut-out (9, 9') at an upper edge and that the cut-out (9, 9') is constructed in such a manner that in the case of an inclined or horizontal storage of a bottle (5) this is secured against lateral rolling away by resting in the cut-out (9, 9') of the upper edge of the divider plate (7, 7', 7").
2. Clip-on compartment divider according to claim 1, characterised in that the carrier (8) is fastened to a corner, at which the lateral edge and the upper edge meet, of the divider plate (7, 7', 7").
3. Clip-on compartment divider according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the carrier (8) has a first U-shaped profile section, which extends transversely to the plane of the divider plate (7, 7', 7") and a grip section (18), which extends out from a side of the first U-shaped profile section remote from the divider plate into the plane of the divider plate.
4. Clip-on compartment divider according to claim 3, characterised in that the grip section (18) is formed by a second U-shaped profile section.
5. Clip-on compartment divider according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the first U-shaped profile section and/or the grip section (18) can be firmly plugged onto a divider plate of a second compartment divider.
6. Clip-on compartment divider according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the divider plate (7") has at least one cut-out (9) at a lower edge.
7. Clip-on compartment divider according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that the first U-shaped profile section has a roughening or ribbing at least at an inner surface.
8. Pull-out bin (4) for a refrigerating appliance, characterised in that it is subdivided by at least one compartment divider (6, 6', 6", 6"') according to any one of the preceding claims.
9. Pull-out bin according to claim 8, characterised in that the at least one compartment divider (6) can be plugged onto at least one side wall (14) of the pull-out bin (4).
10. Pull-out bin according to claim 9, characterised in that the height of the divider plate (7) is less than the height of the side wall (14).
11. Pull-out bin according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterised in that it is subdivided into at least one high-wall compartment (11) and at least one low-wall compartment (10) and the at least one compartment divider (6) is mountable on at least one wall (14) of the low-wall compartment (19) in order to subdivide this.
12. Pull-out bin according to claim 11, characterised in that the low-wall compartment (11) is dimensioned in order to receive a bottle (5), particularly a 1.5 litre or 2 litre beverage bottle, in an inclined position supported on the compartment divider (6).
13. Pull-out bin according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the low-wall compartment is dimensioned in order to receive a bottle (5), particularly a 1.5 litre or 2 litre beverage bottle, lying on two compartment dividers (6).
14. Door deposit compartment for a refrigerating appliance, characterised in that it is subdivided by at least one compartment divider according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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