EP1766306B1

EP1766306B1 - A cooling device

Info

Publication number: EP1766306B1
Application number: EP05744708.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mehmet Ali Arcelik Anonim Sirketi Karasu; Umud Arcelik Anonim Sirketi YAZGAN; Fethi Arcelik Anonim Sirketi SEN
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2004-06-29
Filing date: 2005-06-08
Publication date: 2019-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2025-06-08
Also published as: TR201716542T3; TR200607142T1; EP1766306A1; PL1766306T3; WO2006003534A1

Description

This invention relates to a cooling device, which comprises a shield, which prevents tall objects such as bottles, located on the door shelves, from falling.
Cooling devices comprise one or more than one shelf, on which food, beverages or their containers are placed, inside its body and attached to the inner surface of the door facing inwards. It is possible especially for objects such as food and beverages or their containers, of greater height than the frontal or lateral height of the shelf, that are placed on the shelves of the door to fall over while or after being placed or when the door is opened or closed.
In the current state of the art, in order to prevent objects, which are placed on the shelf from falling over, either frontal or lateral surfaces are designed to be larger or by using wire or other additional components, the heights of the frontal or lateral surfaces are increased.
In the European Patent Application, EP1379819 , a wire shield, which is attached to the housings along the shelf with the help of a connector, is described. At this application, wire shield can not be detached by the user.
In the European Patent Application, EP974796 , a shelf, the frontal height of which can be adjusted to any desired height with the help of more than one detachably attachable wire shield, is described. US 5567029 discloses a cooling device according to the preamble of claim 1.
The aim of this invention is to realize a cooling device, which comprises a shield having an appealing design, which can be attached to and detached from other shelves and prevents tall objects such as bottles that are placed on the shelves of the door from falling over. A cooling device according to the invention is set out in claim 1.
The cooling device designed to fulfill the objectives of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures where:

Fig. 1, is a perspective view of a cooling device that comprises more than one shelf, on which a shield is attached,
Fig. 2, is a perspective view of a shield,
Fig. 3, is a perspective view of a support,
Fig. 4, is a front-side perspective view of a shelf, a support and a shield,
Fig. 5, is a lateral-side perspective view from behind of a shelf, a support and a shield,

Elements shown in figures are numbered as follows:

1.: Cooling device
2.: Door
3.: Shelf
4.: Shield
5.: Separator
6.: Shield housing
7.: Support
8.: Attachment leg
9.: Shelf mounting housing
10.: Shelf mounting extension
11.: Channel
12.: Extension
13.: Frontal surface
14.: Wire
15.: Tightening crimp

The cooling device (1) comprises at least one door (2) which opens and closes enabling placing of objects such as food, beverage or containers like jars and bottles in which they are preserved, to be cooled inside, one or more than one shelf (3) that are attached to the door (2) and enabling the placing of objects to be cooled, and a wire shield (4), which can be attached to or detached from the shelf (3) and which prevents objects that are placed on the shelf (3) from falling over.
The door (2) comprises one or more than one shelf mounting extension (10) that provides the shelf (3) to be attached on the door.
The shelf (3) comprises a shelf mounting housing (9) with an appropriate form, location and quantity which enables its attachment onto the shelf mounting extension (10) and one or more than one shield housing (6) which enables the attachment of the shield (4).
The shield (4) comprises one or more than one attachment leg (8) which enables its placing on the shield housing (6), one or more than one squeezing tightening crimp (15) which enables the connection of attachment leg (8) to the shield housing (6) and one or more than one support (7), preferably in a "v" shape leaning towards the shelf (3), which provides its firm standing on the shelf (3) after it is attached.
The cooling device (1) comprises one or more than one separator (5) which is attached onto the shield (4) and which prevents products and goods placed on the shelf (3) from falling over if they are taller than the sides of the shelf (3).
The separator (5) comprises a channel (11) that provides its attachment to the shield (4), an extension (12) which by leaning towards the products and goods which are in circular forms such as bottles and jars prevents them from falling over and which provides them to be kept in the desired parts of the shelf, which has lateral surfaces suitable for products and goods that are in circular forms such as bottles and jars, and a frontal surface (13) providing aesthetic appearance and on which any writing, sign and symbol can be printed if requested.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the shield (4) comprises two wires (14) that are welded to each other preferably just before the attachment leg (8), whereas one of them is placed higher than the other and the other has an attachment leg (8) that connects them to the shield housing (6), and a support (7) that prevents it from falling over by leaning towards the shelf (3).
According to the invention, the shield (4) comprises at least two wires (14) fixed to each other where one is used as a support (7) by contacting the shelf (3) partially or fully, the other having the same form as the shelf (3), raising the frontal and lateral sides of the shelf (3), and comprises an attachment leg (8) which connects the at least two wires (14) to the shield housing (6).
In another embodiment the cooling device (1) comprises a separator (5) which functions as a support (7) by leaning towards the shelf (3) attached to the shield (4).
In a preferred embodiment, the shelf (3) is manufactured from plastic material and a metal shield (4) mounted on it.
In this embodiment, the shield (4) is situated on the frontal and lateral sides of the shelf (3) with the aid of an attachment leg (8) and is suitable for the form of the shelf (3). The shield (4), preferably representing a "U" form formed by the top view of frontal and lateral sides of the shelf, is placed on the shelf (3) by attachment legs (8) that increase the height of frontal and lateral sides of the shelf (3), and that enable the attachment to the shelf (3) which support this "U" form. Although the shield (4) practically increases the frontal and lateral height of the shelf (3), it can fall down towards the shelf (3) due to the possible erroneous use of the user, and due to the moments created over the attachment leg (8) by the weight of the part that raises the frontal and lateral sides of the shelf (3). Falling down or bending of the part of the shield (4) that is similar to the frontal and lateral sides of the shelf (3) towards the upper parts of the sides of the shelf (3) or detachment of attachment legs (8) or detachment by fracturing the shield housing (6) is prevented by the application of the support (7).
In a further embodiment of the present invention, two wires (14) that are welded on each other just before the attachment leg (8) form the shield (4) where one of them can stand higher than the other, and the other comprises a support (7) that prevents it from falling off and an attachment leg (8) that provides them to be attached on the shield housing (6). The shield (4) that is formed into a single piece by joining two wires (14) is attached to the shelf (3) as snap fit by being pushed towards the shield housing (6). After the shield (4) is attached on the shelf (3) the separator (5), as it would cover both wires (14), is attached on the shield (4) as snap fit by inserting the shield (4) through the channel (11). Therefore, the user can bring the separator (5) to the desired position on the shield (4) manually. After the shield (4) and the separator (5) are attached on the shelf (3), the shelf (3) is pushed as the shelf mounting extension (10) would be inserted to the shelf mounting housing (9) and is attached on the door (2) as snap fit.
The cooling device of the present invention prevents falling over of products and goods that are bigger in dimensions than the shelf (3). Said products and goods can be stored in any desired position on the shelf (3). On the other hand, if desired, the shield (4) can easily be detached from the shelf (3) and attached to another shelf (3). Therefore, users can easily utilize shelves (3) as they desire. This application also brings advantages in terms of production time and costs.

Claims

A cooling device (1) comprising at least one door (2) which opens and closes enabling the placing of products and goods such as food and beverages to be cooled inside, one or more than one shelf (3) attached to the door (2) enabling the placing of objects to be cooled, a wire shield (4), which can be attached to or detached from the shelf (3) and which prevents objects placed on the shelf (3) from falling over the shelf (3), the wire shield (4) comprising one or more than one attachment leg (8) providing the mounting on the shelf (3), characterized in that the shelf (3) includes one or more than one shield housing (6) providing its attachment to the shield (4), and in that the wire shield (4) comprises at least two wires (14) fixed to each other wherein one is used as a support (7) by contacting the shelf (3) at least partially and the other has the same form as the shelf (3), and raises the frontal and lateral sides of the shelf (3), and in that the attachment leg (8) connects said at least two wires (14) to the shield housing (6).
A cooling device (1) as described in Claim 1 characterized by the support (7) having a "v" form.
A cooling device (1) as described in Claims 1 to 2 characterized by the shield (4) including one or more than one tightening crimp (15) which provides the attachment leg (8).
A cooling device (1) as described in any of the above mentioned Claims, characterized by one or more than one separator (5) situated on the shield (4), preventing products and goods, that are placed on shelves (3) having bigger dimensions than the sides of a shelf (3), from falling over in the direction where the shield is not effective.
A cooling device (1) as described in Claim 4, characterized by the separator (5) including a channel (11) that provides its attachment to the shield (4), an extension (12) which by leaning towards the products and goods which are in circular forms such as bottles and jars prevents them from falling off and which provides them to be kept on the desired parts of the shelf, which has lateral surfaces suitable for products and goods that are in circular forms such as bottles and jars, and a frontal surface (13) which provides an aesthetic look from the front and on which any writing, sign and symbol can be printed if required.
A cooling device (1) as described in any of the above mentioned Claims, characterized by the two wires (14) being welded to each other preferably just before the attachment leg (8), wherein one of said two wires (14) is placed higher than the other and the other has the attachment leg (8) that connects said two wires (14) to the shield housing (6) and the support (7) that prevents the shield (4) from falling off.
A cooling device (1) as described in Claims 4 and 5, characterized by the separator (5) mounted to the shield (4) and functioning as a support by leaning towards the shelf (3).