EP1660826B1 - Refrigerating appliance - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration device having a body and a hinged to the body about an axis door which enclose a cool interior to be held. More specifically, the invention relates to a concept for the division of this interior.

WO 03/040632 A1 discloses a desktop refrigerator with an interior enclosing housing, wherein the interior is divided into at least one freezer compartment and a normal refrigeration compartment, wherein the freezer compartment is disposed below the normal refrigeration compartment and is equipped with an extendable frozen food carrier. This document is considered to represent the closest prior art.

KR 2002 068 929 A discloses a door racks that can be inserted into a holder on an inside of a refrigerator door, wherein the holder has a sliding device, so that the door rack is displaceable along the holder. When pulling out a container, the door rack can be moved so that the container is further pulled out of the storage room.

US 3,063,772 discloses a storage unit comprising a storage compartment and an access opening therefor, the storage compartment including first and second storage regions accessible through the access opening, one storage container in each of the storage regions, a frame, first and second slide members supporting one of the two containers supporting, third and fourth sliding parts that support the other container next to the first container. Both containers are slidably supported by the sliding parts. The second and third sliding members are juxtaposed in a fixed relationship and pivotally mounted to the frame to allow horizontal movement toward and away from the fourth sliding member when the second container has been removed.

US 3,006,710 discloses an extendable shelf which is laterally displaced during extension so that the shelf does not abut a door shelf, but is positioned next to the door shelf in the extended state. For freezers, it has long been common practice to stack in the interior of several floors baskets, which are pulled out on rails extendable to allow in the pulled out of the freezer state a user access to the contents of the basket from above. The inside of the door of such a refrigerator is generally flat. In contrast, it was common in refrigerators to install in the interior refrigerated goods in the form of stationary flat plates or grates, and to accommodate on the inside of the door in different dimensions and installation heights door racks, which were intended in particular for the storage of bottles and small containers.

In such a division was found to be disadvantageous that objects that were placed on one of the stationary refrigerated goods near the rear wall, were difficult to access and often risked to be covered by previously standing refrigerated goods so that they could easily be overlooked and forgotten , In order to keep objects accessible even in a rear area of the refrigerated goods, they were not allowed to be fully charged in the front area, resulting in an unsatisfactory exploitation of the existing refrigerator.

In order to remedy these problems, refrigerators with sliding refrigerated goods carriers have been proposed lately, which can be pulled out of the interior of the refrigerator to the front, and thus allow a user free insight and access to remote from the door of the refrigerator areas of the refrigerated goods ,

In refrigerators of this type, especially in built-in refrigerators, however, there is the problem that the opening angle of the door often at values of 90 ° or only slightly is limited above. Refrigerators of this type have smooth insides without door racks, because door racks would block the pull-out movement of the refrigerated goods and thus largely negate the benefits of their mobility. However, this solution also proves to be not fully satisfactory. Thus, for example, omitting the door racks forces drink containers, for which door racks have been used in a conventional manner, to be accommodated in a refrigerated goods carrier in the interior. While in a refrigerator with door cabinets in general, a handle, namely the opening of the door, is sufficient to gain access to all beverage containers, a refrigerator without door racks often two handles are required, namely the opening of the door and the extraction of the relevant refrigerated goods. This is not only awkward for a user; It also leads to increased energy consumption of the device, as the door must be kept open longer and thus more warm outside air enters the interior.

Object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration device, which combines the advantages of both types described above, with stationary refrigerated goods carriers and door cabinets and the extendable refrigerated goods carriers in one unit.

The task is solved by a refrigeration device with the features of claim 1. By the depth of upper and lower refrigerated goods is chosen so that the lower, when it is at least 90 ° open door at its front stop, at least predominantly below the upper Kühlgutträger emerges, good accessibility of its contents is guaranteed regardless of whether there is a door racks in the extension of the pull-out of the lower refrigerated goods or if this would possibly swing away by opening the door over 90 ° out of front of the lower refrigerated goods.

The lower refrigerated goods, if it is pulled forward to its front stop, is not covered at all by the upper refrigerated goods, in order to ensure a completely free access from above to its contents.

In a simple first embodiment, it is the door rack itself, at at least 90 ° open door as a front stop for the lower refrigerated goods acts. It is irrelevant whether the 90 ° correspond to the maximum opening angle of the door, or if the door racks, if the maximum opening angle is greater than 90 ° and the door is at this maximum opening angle, the way for further withdrawal of the lower refrigerated goods releases.

In a second embodiment, a front stop is provided which stops the lower refrigerated goods shortly before contact with the door rack at at least 90 ° open door, thus preventing a rough collision that could lead to damage. Such a front stop can be formed, in particular, on the rails leading to the lower refrigerated goods carrier.

In principle, it is possible to combine the first and second embodiment to the effect that at a first opening angle between 90 ° and a critical angle of just over 90 °, the stop is defined by contact of lower refrigerated goods and drawer, while above the critical angle of the Rail defined stop becomes effective. Preferably, however, the front stop will be placed so that it stops even at an opening angle of exactly 90 °, the lower refrigerated goods before reaching the door compartment.

Preferably, the upper refrigerated goods in the manner described above is guided on rails. In particular, in another pair of upper and lower refrigerated goods carriers, he can represent the lower refrigerated goods carrier with the features described above.

The refrigerated goods can be box-shaped. This is particularly useful for refrigerated goods, which are mounted in a lower portion of the interior, at a height in which it is possible for a user without difficulty, looking from above into the extended box.

If box-shaped refrigerated goods carriers are provided up to approximately the same level as a user, then at least the highest of these refrigerated goods carriers should have a pivotable front flap, which also provides a user with a view from the front into the interior of the box.

In general, plate-shaped refrigerated goods carriers will be used in an upper area of the interior, allowing a user free access and access from the front, without necessarily having to be pulled out. Therefore, of several refrigerated goods carriers of the refrigerator according to the invention preferably at least the highest located plate-shaped.

The dimensioning of the refrigerated goods carrier according to the invention makes it possible to give the door rack a greater depth than in conventional refrigerators. The door racks have a depth which is 0.4 times to 0.6 times the depth of the refrigerated goods carrier, but which, according to a particularly preferred embodiment, is 0.5 times the depth of the refrigerated goods carrier. The door rack has a depth of at least 13 cm. Preferably, the depth of the door compartment is about 13 cm or is sufficient to accommodate a conventional 2-liter PET beverage bottle in the door rack.

Fig. 1

einen schematischen vertikalen Schnitt durch ein erfindungsgemäßes Kältegerät;

Fig. 2

einen horizontalen Schnitt durch das Kältegerät entlang der Linie II-II aus Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

einen Schnitt durch das Kältegerät analog der Fig. 1, bei geöffneter Tür;

Fig. 4

einen horizontalen Schnitt durch das Kältegerät bei geöffneter Tür;

Fig. 5

einen vertikalen Schnitt durch eine zweite Ausgestaltung des erfindungsgemäßen Kältegerätes bei geöffneter Tür;

Fig. 6

einen vertikalen Schnitt durch eine zweite Ausgestaltung des erfindungsgemäßen Kältegerätes bei geöffneter Tür;

Fig. 7

einen horizontalen Schnitt durch das Kältegerät der Fig. 6 entlang der Ebene VII-VII aus Fig. 6 bei geöffneter Tür;

Fig. 8

das Kältegerät aus Fig. 6 im horizontalen Schnitt, bei geschlossener Tür.

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

Fig. 1

a schematic vertical section through an inventive refrigerator;

Fig. 2

a horizontal section through the refrigerator along the line II-II Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a section through the refrigerator analogous to Fig. 1 with the door open;

Fig. 4

a horizontal section through the refrigerator with the door open;

Fig. 5

a vertical section through a second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the invention with the door open;

Fig. 6

a vertical section through a second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the invention with the door open;

Fig. 7

a horizontal section through the refrigerator of the Fig. 6 along the level VII-VII Fig. 6 with the door open;

Fig. 8

the refrigeration device off Fig. 6 in horizontal section, with the door closed.

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section through a refrigerator according to the invention with a body 1 and a door 2. The body 1 and the door 2 are constructed in a conventional manner from an integrally drawn plastic inner wall 3, 4 and an outer shell 5 and 6 respectively Metal or plastic, which define a filled with insulating foam material cavity 7 and 8, respectively. On the side walls 9 of the inner wall 3 a plurality of telescopic rails 10 are mounted, however, in Fig. 1 are covered by held refrigerated goods 11, 12.

The refrigerated goods 11, 12 extend in the embodiment shown here about 60% of the depth of the interior 13 of the refrigerator, measured between the rear wall 14 of the inner wall 3 on the one hand and the inner wall 4 of the closed door 2 on the other. The remainder of the depth of the interior 13 is substantially filled by door racks 15, 16 in different dimensions, which are suspended on the inner wall 4 of the door 2.

The low-lying refrigerated goods 12 has the shape of a box with raised walls that end just below a refrigerated goods carrier 11 disposed above and complicate an exchange of air between the interior of the box-shaped refrigerated goods 12 and the rest of the interior 13. In the box-shaped refrigerated goods 12 therefore temperatures and humidities may occur, which differ from those of the rest of the interior space 13 and predestinate the refrigerated goods 12, for example, for the storage of vegetables or other sensitive to storage at too low temperatures sensitive goods.

The other refrigerated goods 11 are shown here in the form of trays, in the form of a flat plate with surrounding side walls low height, which does not hinder the exchange of air with the rest of the interior 13 and also a direct access of a user parked in a front region of the refrigerated goods 11 Allow objects without the refrigerated goods 11 must be pulled out in any case for this purpose.

In the horizontal section of the Fig. 2 are four a central plate 17 surrounding low walls 18, 19, 20, 20 of the refrigerated goods carrier 11 can be seen. The front wall 18 can also be completely eliminated to allow unimpeded access from the front on the plate 17 parked objects. The side walls 20 may be omitted, unless they are for fastening the telescopic rails 10 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) serve.

The top view of the door rack 15 in Fig. 2 shows a front wall 21, which faces the wall 18 of the refrigerated goods carrier 11 at a small distance, and two curved side edges 22, 23. The side edges 22, 23 have a circular arc-shaped course, wherein the center of the circular arc 23 coincides with the axis of a hinge 24, over the door 2 is struck on the body 1. The circular arc shape of the side edge 23 allows to maximize the width and thus the shelf of the door compartment 15 and at the same time to prevent that when opening the door 2, a corner of the door compartment 15 abuts against the side wall 9 of the body 1. The side flank 22 is curved in the same way as the side flank 23 to allow, as desired, an assembly of the door 2 with left or right side stop.

The FIGS. 3 and 4 show the same refrigerator in a vertical and a horizontal section at maximum open door, with the maximum door opening angle here an angle of 90 ° is assumed, as is typical of many built-in refrigerators. The lower refrigerated goods 12 is shown here in an extended to a front stop position. This front stop can be defined by the hinge 24 adjacent side edge 22 of the arranged at the same height as the refrigerated goods 12 door compartment 16 which touches a front corner of the refrigerated goods and thus blocks its further movement, or it can be a stop formed on the Teleskopschienen10 act, which stops the refrigerated goods 12 shortly before reaching the side edge 22 and prevents it from touching them.

Since the depth of the refrigerated goods 11, 12 is equal to half the distance between the side edge 22 at 90 ° open door and the rear wall 14 of the interior is selected, the refrigerated goods 12 can be pulled so far despite the attack that its entire floor surface from above is freely accessible. The same freedom of movement also have the higher refrigerated goods 11th

Alone at the highest of the refrigerated goods 11 free access from above through the ceiling of the body 1 is limited when this refrigerated goods is pulled out as far as in Fig. 3 for the refrigerated goods 12 shown. However, this problem can be solved by, as in Fig. 5 shown, a telescopic rail 10 is used with a particularly large stroke for this uppermost refrigerated goods 11, which allows the refrigerated goods 11 completely or almost completely pull out of the interior 13, and is completely dispensed with a door rack 15 at the same height for this purpose , or, as also in the Fig. 5 shown, a door racks 25 is used, which extends only over part of the width of the door 2 and thus leaves enough space for pulling out the refrigerated goods carrier 11.

A further embodiment of the refrigeration device according to the invention is in Fig. 6 as a vertical section with the door open and in FIGS. 7 and 8 as a horizontal section at the level of line VII-VII Fig. 6 shown in the open or closed door 2. The depth of the refrigerated goods 11, 12 is compared to the embodiments of the FIGS. 1 to 5 increased to about 2/3 of the depth of the interior space 13. In order nevertheless to be able to prefer each refrigerated goods carrier 11, 12 so far that it no longer overlaps in the plan view with the other refrigerated goods carriers, in this embodiment the door racks 15, 16 are compared to Fig. 3 made narrower and their side facing the hinge 24 side edge 22 is compared to Fig. 3 offset towards the center of the door 2, to leave more freedom of movement for the refrigerated goods 11, 12 with the door open. In order to allow an installation of the door 2 with either right or left stop in this embodiment, two alternative, mutually mirror-symmetrical mounting positions on the inside of the door 2 are expediently provided for the door racks 15, 16, as for the top door rack 15 in Fig. 6 indicated by a dashed outline 15 '.

Claims (10)

1. Refrigeration appliance with a carcass (1) and a door (2) fastened to the carcass (1) such that it can pivot about an axis up to a maximum opening angle, which enclose an interior (3), with at least two carriers for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12) which are accommodated one above the other in the interior (3), of which the lower (11, 12) is guided on rails (10) and can be slid outwards from a rear end stop when the door (2) is open, wherein one of the rails (10) is arranged on a side wall of the carcass, to which the door is fastened, wherein at least one door rack (15, 16) is attached to an inner side (4) of the door (2), and wherein the lower carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12), when it is situated at the rear end stop, is largely covered by the upper carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11), characterised in that, when it is situated at a front end stop when the door (2) is opened by at least 90°, it completely emerges below the upper carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11), that the front end stop is defined by a contact between the lower carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12) and the door rack (15, 16), or that it has a front end stop, which stops the lower carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12) before contact with the door rack (15, 16) when the door (2) is opened by at least 90°, and that the door rack (15, 16) has a depth which amounts to 0.4 to 0.6 times the depth of the carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12), and that the door rack (15, 16) has a depth of at least 13 cm.
2. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that the front end stop, which stops the lower carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12) before contact with the door rack (15, 16) when the door (2) is opened by at least 90°, is formed on the rails (10).
3. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upper carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11) is also guided in a displaceable manner on rails (10).
4. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the carriers for goods to be refrigerated (12) is embodied in a box-shaped manner.
5. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 4, characterised in that of a plurality of box-shaped carriers for goods to be refrigerated, at least the highest situated has a pivotable front flap.
6. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the carriers for goods to be refrigerated is embodied in a plate-shaped manner.
7. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 6, characterised in that of a plurality of carriers for goods to be refrigerated, at least the highest situated (11) is embodied in a plate-shaped manner.
8. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rails (10) are telescopic rails.
9. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the door rack (15, 16) is dimensioned in terms of its depth such that the door rack (15, 16) moves closer up until it is close to the carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12) situated at the rear end stop position, when the door is closed.
10. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the door rack (15, 16) has a depth which amounts to 0.5 times the depth of the carrier for goods to be refrigerated (11, 12).

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