EP1881281A9 - Built-in refrigerator with increased internal volume - Google Patents
Built-in refrigerator with increased internal volume Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1881281A9 EP1881281A9 EP06116614A EP06116614A EP1881281A9 EP 1881281 A9 EP1881281 A9 EP 1881281A9 EP 06116614 A EP06116614 A EP 06116614A EP 06116614 A EP06116614 A EP 06116614A EP 1881281 A9 EP1881281 A9 EP 1881281A9
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- cabinet
- refrigerator body
- refrigerating appliance
- refrigerator
- appliance according
- 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.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000005057 refrigeration Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000009423 ventilation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003292 glue Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- F25D23/10—Arrangements for mounting in particular locations, e.g. for built-in type, for corner type
-
- 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
- F25D23/006—General constructional features for mounting refrigerating machinery components
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a refrigerating appliance, of the type to be built in a cabinet of a kitchen or the like, comprising a refrigerator body having a cavity for food conservation.
- the width of a built-in refrigerator body is at least 50 mm narrower than a freestanding cabinet of the same category/module (with category it is meant the footprint area on the floor including the enclosure of the kitchen column: total width x total depth), and this is indicative of how is relevant the loss of internal volume.
- a first method to increase the volume of the refrigerator body is to increase its width by designing a kitchen cabinet (called also as "column") with very thin vertical walls, something like 2 - 4 mm instead of 18 - 20 mm of the traditional walls.
- a kitchen cabinet (called also as "column") with very thin vertical walls, something like 2 - 4 mm instead of 18 - 20 mm of the traditional walls.
- a second method to increase the volume of the refrigerator body is to increase its height, but this creates big problems in term of accessibility of food products placed in the upper shelves of the cavity.
- such means comprises a plurality of reinforcing vertical rod-shaped elements adapted to be installed between vertical side panels of the cabinets and the refrigerator body in order to allow the use of thin side panels, without any risk of loosing structural stiffness of the cabinet.
- said rod-shaped elements are installed substantially in correspondence of each vertical corner of the refrigerator body.
- said means for increasing the volume of the cavity comprises a suspended tray-shaped support fixed on the bottom of the refrigerator body and adapted to contain functional components of the refrigerating appliance, such as the compressor, the condenser, the cooling fan and the like, the refrigerator body being supported on edges of a cut-out provided in a bottom wall of the cabinet.
- a first embodiment of the present invention shows a method to increase the internal volume of the refrigerator by providing structural stiffness of the kitchen cabinet having very thin panels, combined to an original design of the external geometry of the refrigerator body.
- the kitchen cabinet is only a "virtual" one. Practically it is made by two vertical thin side panel 10 having two pillars each, one on the front side, indicated with reference 12, and the other on the back, indicated with the reference 14.
- a top panel 16 completes the cabinet or "column".
- the side panels 10 and the top panel 16 are directly fixed on the lateral walls of the refrigerator body R by means of screws 18 flash with the surface, even if other means can be used too (for instance glue).
- the screws 18 are placed in correspondence of the pillars 12 and 14, and the heads thereof are hidden in a known manner (for instance by means of wooden plugs).
- the top panel 16 lies on top of the lateral panels 10.
- the finishing of the visible sides of the panels 10 and front pillars 12 is the same of the rest of the kitchen furniture.
- the wooden door/s 20 (with the same style of the rest of the kitchen) is/are hinged to the front pillars 12.
- the body R of the refrigerator has two bottom extensions 22 that have the function of replacing the "legs" of the traditional cabinet or column. Such extensions 22 are supported directly by the floor. On the front of the extensions 22 a grid 24 is fixed for ventilation of the sealed system.
- the front vertical corners of the refrigerator cabinet have each a recess 26 to accommodate the front pillars 12.
- the back pillars 14 lay on the back side of back vertical corners 28 of the refrigerator body R and of back portions of side panels 10.
- Each thin panel 10 is in direct contact with the vertical surfaces of the refrigerator body R. In this way the width of the refrigerator cabinet increases more than 50 mm reflecting a relevant increasing of the internal volume, i.e. the increase of the volume for a built-in refrigerator high 1750 mm is around 40 litres.
- the cabinet as far as the thickness of the side panels is concerned, is similar to the usual cabinets used up to now for built-in refrigerators.
- the refrigerator body of a built-in domestic refrigerating appliance has the same structure and configuration of a free standing refrigerator. This means to have the condensing unit on the back of the refrigerator body and the compressor in a space provided under the refrigerator cavity, supported by a mounting plate located at the same level of the bottom side of the cabinet. All the built-in refrigerator body is mounted in a base plate of the furniture cabinet. Since the base plate of the cabinet is usually from 160 to 300 mm from the floor, this means a relevant loss of internal volume of the built-in refrigerator in comparison with a free standing one of the same height (assuming that the twop kinds of cabinets have the same width and depth).
- the cabinet 100 has a base plate which is provided with a cut-out 102 that occupies most of its surface.
- the dimension of such cut-out is slighly higher than the dimension of a tray-shaped bottom protrusion 104 ( figure 5 ) placed on the bottom of the refrigerator body R.
- the size of the protrusion is slightly less than the refrigerator body foot-print.
- the protrusion 104 is around 450x500 mm with a height of around 160 mm.
- the funtional components of the refriogerator are contained, such as a condenser C, a compressor K and a cooling fan F ( figure 5 ).
- the cut-out 102 defines a sort of U-shaped edge 106 on which the refrigerator body R is supported by means of adjustable legs or levellers 108.
- the refrigeration body R is adapted to be slided in the cabinet 100 and fixed in the same way of a traditional built-in refrigerator.
- the cavity of the refrigerator is at leats 50 mm deeper than in the usual configuration.
- the internal volume increases by 35 - 40 litres. Since the compressor K is installed in the same protrusion with the condenser C, it is possible to eliminate the so-called "dog house” that presently protrudes inside the cavity. This means another volume increase of about 10 litres.
- louver 115 On the front of the cabinet 100 a louver 115 is mounted to allow the ventilation of condenser and compressor placed in the protrusion. Moreover a structural cross bar 116 is mounted on the cabinet 100 in order to tie the front sides of the cabinet and for providing structural stiffness.
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)
- Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
- Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a refrigerating appliance, of the type to be built in a cabinet of a kitchen or the like, comprising a refrigerator body having a cavity for food conservation.
- It is well known in the art of refrigerating appliances (i.e. refrigerators, freezer and the like) the advantage of having built-in refrigerators that are installed in a cabinet as a furniture, looking to be an integral part of the kitchen or of the living room. On the other hand a disadvantage of built-in refrigerators and freezers is the reduce volume of the cavity thereof, since such volume is not only decreased by the thickness of the insulation walls of the refrigerator body, but also of the thickness of the cabinet walls in which the built-in refrigerator has to be installed.
- The width of a built-in refrigerator body is at least 50 mm narrower than a freestanding cabinet of the same category/module (with category it is meant the footprint area on the floor including the enclosure of the kitchen column: total width x total depth), and this is indicative of how is relevant the loss of internal volume.
- A first method to increase the volume of the refrigerator body (and therefore the volume of the cavity thereof) is to increase its width by designing a kitchen cabinet (called also as "column") with very thin vertical walls, something like 2 - 4 mm instead of 18 - 20 mm of the traditional walls. As consequence of these thin walls, a lack of structural stiffness of the cabinet will result, also with related problems in providing a stiff support for the hinges of the furniture wooden doors coupled to the refrigerator thermally insulated doors.
- A second method to increase the volume of the refrigerator body is to increase its height, but this creates big problems in term of accessibility of food products placed in the upper shelves of the cavity.
- It would thus be desirable, and this is the aim of the present invention, to improve the construction of such refrigerators by providing them with means for increasing the volume of the cavity of the refrigerator body.
- According to a first embodiment of the invention, such means comprises a plurality of reinforcing vertical rod-shaped elements adapted to be installed between vertical side panels of the cabinets and the refrigerator body in order to allow the use of thin side panels, without any risk of loosing structural stiffness of the cabinet. According to the invention, said rod-shaped elements are installed substantially in correspondence of each vertical corner of the refrigerator body.
- According to a second embodiment of the invention, said means for increasing the volume of the cavity comprises a suspended tray-shaped support fixed on the bottom of the refrigerator body and adapted to contain functional components of the refrigerating appliance, such as the compressor, the condenser, the cooling fan and the like, the refrigerator body being supported on edges of a cut-out provided in a bottom wall of the cabinet. Thanks to the solution according to this second embodiment of the invention the volume of the cavity is increased either "vertically" or "horizontally", in the sense that it is exploited the volume of what is usually the air suction passage of the built-in assembly and that it is also exploited the volume where the condenser is usually placed (between the back side of the refrigerator and the wall). In other words, by providing a cut-out in the base plate of the furniture cabinet, it is possible to increase the volume of the cavity by placing the "machine room" (i.e. the space where functional components are placed) below the usual level, and by providing an air passage directly in and out of the tray shaped support.
- The invention and the embodiments thereof will be better appreciated from the following description given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
-
figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the invention; -
figure 2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator offigure 1 , in which the door and the bottom grill have been removed for sake of clarity; -
figure 3 is a horizontal cross section of the refrigerator offigure 1 ; -
figure 4 is a perspective exploded view of a cabinet for a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the invention; and -
figure 5 is a side cross section of the second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention, installed in the cabinet offigure 4 . - With reference to
figure 1-3 , a first embodiment of the present invention shows a method to increase the internal volume of the refrigerator by providing structural stiffness of the kitchen cabinet having very thin panels, combined to an original design of the external geometry of the refrigerator body. - According to such embodiment, the kitchen cabinet is only a "virtual" one. Practically it is made by two vertical
thin side panel 10 having two pillars each, one on the front side, indicated withreference 12, and the other on the back, indicated with thereference 14. Atop panel 16 completes the cabinet or "column". Theside panels 10 and thetop panel 16 are directly fixed on the lateral walls of the refrigerator body R by means ofscrews 18 flash with the surface, even if other means can be used too (for instance glue). Thescrews 18 are placed in correspondence of thepillars top panel 16 lies on top of thelateral panels 10. The finishing of the visible sides of thepanels 10 andfront pillars 12 is the same of the rest of the kitchen furniture. The wooden door/s 20 (with the same style of the rest of the kitchen) is/are hinged to thefront pillars 12. - The body R of the refrigerator has two
bottom extensions 22 that have the function of replacing the "legs" of the traditional cabinet or column.Such extensions 22 are supported directly by the floor. On the front of the extensions 22 agrid 24 is fixed for ventilation of the sealed system. - The front vertical corners of the refrigerator cabinet have each a
recess 26 to accommodate thefront pillars 12. Theback pillars 14 lay on the back side of backvertical corners 28 of the refrigerator body R and of back portions ofside panels 10. Eachthin panel 10 is in direct contact with the vertical surfaces of the refrigerator body R. In this way the width of the refrigerator cabinet increases more than 50 mm reflecting a relevant increasing of the internal volume, i.e. the increase of the volume for a built-in refrigerator high 1750 mm is around 40 litres. - With reference to
figures 4 and 5 it is shown a second embodiment of the invention in which the cabinet, as far as the thickness of the side panels is concerned, is similar to the usual cabinets used up to now for built-in refrigerators. Typically the refrigerator body of a built-in domestic refrigerating appliance has the same structure and configuration of a free standing refrigerator. This means to have the condensing unit on the back of the refrigerator body and the compressor in a space provided under the refrigerator cavity, supported by a mounting plate located at the same level of the bottom side of the cabinet. All the built-in refrigerator body is mounted in a base plate of the furniture cabinet. Since the base plate of the cabinet is usually from 160 to 300 mm from the floor, this means a relevant loss of internal volume of the built-in refrigerator in comparison with a free standing one of the same height (assuming that the twop kinds of cabinets have the same width and depth). - According to the invention, the
cabinet 100 has a base plate which is provided with a cut-out 102 that occupies most of its surface. The dimension of such cut-out is slighly higher than the dimension of a tray-shaped bottom protrusion 104 (figure 5 ) placed on the bottom of the refrigerator body R. The size of the protrusion is slightly less than the refrigerator body foot-print. Typically for a foot print of 540 x 540 mm of the refrigerator body, theprotrusion 104 is around 450x500 mm with a height of around 160 mm. In the protrusion the funtional components of the refriogerator are contained, such as a condenser C, a compressor K and a cooling fan F (figure 5 ). The cut-out 102 defines a sort of U-shapededge 106 on which the refrigerator body R is supported by means of adjustable legs orlevellers 108. The refrigeration body R is adapted to be slided in thecabinet 100 and fixed in the same way of a traditional built-in refrigerator. - According to this second embodiment of the invention the cavity of the refrigerator is at leats 50 mm deeper than in the usual configuration. For a refrigerator 1,8 metre tall, the internal volume increases by 35 - 40 litres. Since the compressor K is installed in the same protrusion with the condenser C, it is possible to eliminate the so-called "dog house" that presently protrudes inside the cavity. This means another volume increase of about 10 litres.
- On the front of the cabinet 100 a
louver 115 is mounted to allow the ventilation of condenser and compressor placed in the protrusion. Moreover a structural cross bar 116 is mounted on thecabinet 100 in order to tie the front sides of the cabinet and for providing structural stiffness.
Claims (10)
- A refrigerating appliance, of the type to be built in a cabinet (10, 16, 100) of a kitchen or the like, comprising a refrigerator body (R) having a cavity for food conservation, characterised in that it comprises means (12, 14, 104, 106) for increasing the volume of said cavity.
- A refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that said means comprises a plurality of reinforcing vertical rod-shaped elements (12, 14) adapted to be installed between vertical side panels (10) of the cabinet and the refrigeration body (R) in order to allow the use of side panels (10) having reduced thickness.
- A refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, characterised in that said rod-shaped elements (12, 14) are installed substantially in correspondence of each vertical corner (28) of the refrigerator body (R).
- A refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that it comprises two front rod-shaped elements (12) placed in recesses (26) of the refrigerator body (R) and two rear rod-shaped elements (14) placed on a rear wall of the refrigerator body (R) and in contact with the vertical side panels (10) of the cabinet.
- A refrigerating appliance according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that it comprises a door (20) of the cabinet hinged to a rod-shaped element (12) on the front side of the appliance.
- A refrigerating appliance according to any of the claims 2-5, characterised in that the refrigeration body (R) comprises side walls (22) adapted to be supported directly by the floor.
- A refrigerating appliance according to any of the claims 2-5, characterised in that the vertical side panels (10) are fixed to the refrigerator body (R) by means of fastening means (18)
- A refrigerating appliance according to claim 7, characterised in that such fastening means comprises screws (18) placed in correspondence of the rod-shaped elements (12, 14).
- A refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that said means comprises a suspended tray-shaped support (104) fixed on the bottom of the refrigerator body (R) and adapted to contain functional components of the appliance such as compressor (K), condenser (C) and fan (F), the refrigerator body (R) being supported on edges (106) of a cut-out (102) provided in a bottom wall of the cabinet (100).
- A refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterised in that the refrigerator body (R) comprises adjustable legs (108) placed on said edges (106) of the cut-out (102).
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP06116614A EP1881281A1 (en) | 2006-07-17 | 2006-07-17 | Built-in refrigerator with increased internal volume |
US11/775,910 US20080011006A1 (en) | 2006-07-17 | 2007-07-11 | Built-in refrigerator with increased internal volume |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP06116614A EP1881281A1 (en) | 2006-07-17 | 2006-07-17 | Built-in refrigerator with increased internal volume |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1881281A1 EP1881281A1 (en) | 2008-01-23 |
EP1881281A9 true EP1881281A9 (en) | 2009-12-16 |
Family
ID=37697945
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP06116614A Withdrawn EP1881281A1 (en) | 2006-07-17 | 2006-07-17 | Built-in refrigerator with increased internal volume |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080011006A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1881281A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7703824B2 (en) * | 2007-12-03 | 2010-04-27 | International Truck Intellectual Property Company, Llc | In-cab refrigerator mounting and method |
US8382219B2 (en) * | 2009-05-11 | 2013-02-26 | Sub-Zero, Inc. | Installation system and door positioning device for appliances |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR1476903A (en) * | 1965-03-30 | 1967-04-14 | Fargas Fabbriche Riunite Farga | Composite kitchen furniture formed by the combination of prefabricated series elements |
US3653532A (en) * | 1970-04-30 | 1972-04-04 | Gen Motors Corp | Plastic refrigerator with reinforcing framework |
DE19907077A1 (en) * | 1999-02-19 | 2000-08-24 | Bsh Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete | Refrigerator for installation into furniture niche of kitchen fittings along one wall of room, or similar has discharge air opening(s) on rear region of apparatus base facing away from door, sitting on wall of apparatus base. |
DE10136222A1 (en) * | 2001-07-25 | 2003-02-06 | Bsh Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete | Furniture refrigeration device combination |
KR100512734B1 (en) * | 2003-05-10 | 2005-09-07 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Built-in storage |
WO2006021809A2 (en) * | 2004-08-26 | 2006-03-02 | Applied Design And Engineering Limited | Improvements in or relating to storage |
-
2006
- 2006-07-17 EP EP06116614A patent/EP1881281A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2007
- 2007-07-11 US US11/775,910 patent/US20080011006A1/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20080011006A1 (en) | 2008-01-17 |
EP1881281A1 (en) | 2008-01-23 |
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Legal Events
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PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
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AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
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17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20080704 |
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17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20080814 |
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AKX | Designation fees paid |
Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
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STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
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18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20160202 |