EP1929224B1 - Refrigerator with a divided shelf - Google Patents

Description

In cabinet-type refrigerators such as refrigerators and freezers, the interior is usually divided by one or more storage shelves in compartments that are loaded with refrigerated goods. In a conventional refrigerator sidewalls of the interior are provided with a plurality of horizontal grooves, in the storage shelves are inserted from the front. By placing the Abstellplatten in grooves at different heights can be formed according to the needs of a user different sized compartments.

Between the grooves projecting portions of the sidewall reduce the usable volume of the interior, but contribute, although they are usually filled with insulation material, little to the thermal insulation of the refrigerator, since the thinner insulation layers at the level of the grooves forms a cold bridge.

If the pivoting angle of the door is limited to 90 °, as is often the case, in particular with built-in appliances, there is the problem that a storage tray when pulling in the horizontal direction abuts against the door before it is completely pulled out of the grooves. To be able to offset the storage plates still horizontal, it is therefore known to provide them in a front near-door area with engaging in the grooves webs and in a rear area only with a pin which also engages in the groove. If such a plate is pulled out so far that it abuts against the door, the webs have left the grooves, so that the plate can be pivoted about a defined by the pin horizontal axis and can be removed.

The lateral webs and pins make the production of the storage plate consuming. Conventionally, the storage shelf consists largely of a safety glass pane. Webs and pins are on this one piece or not feasible with disproportionate expenditure, so the glass sheet is enclosed in a plastic frame on which webs and pins are formed.

In an effort to improve the ratio of usable interior volume to total volume of the refrigerator, a refrigerator was developed according to the preamble of claim 1. The omission of the grooves in the front region of the side wall increases here the usable width of the interior, without affecting the thermal insulation noticeably. By here the grooves receiving the Abstellplatte are limited to the rear wall portion of the interior, a small displacement of the support plate is sufficient to remove them from the grooves and move vertically. In addition, this design of the side walls allows the use of a support plate with a simple, rectangular outline without laterally projecting elements. The support plate can therefore be formed aesthetically pleasing and with little effort in one piece by a glass sheet. The shortening of the grooves, however, requires a support of the support plate in the front wall area.

A disadvantage of this construction, however, is that it is not readily possible to use a carrier plate transversely divided in the direction of insertion. However, such a split support plate is desirable because it makes it possible to partially fold by removing the door-near part of the support plate two compartments and so to accommodate refrigerated goods, which is higher than the height of a single compartment, while remaining in the refrigerator part of the divided carrier plate with refrigerated goods can stay occupied.

It is known a split support plate in which a rear part is formed by a rectangular glass sheet, the four edges are each bordered in profiles connected to a frame, and in which the side profiles are extended forward to support a removable front plate , Although such a split support plate is useful in the above-described known refrigeration device by the side profiles of the frame respectively engage in the grooves and rest on the supports in the front wall area, but such a solution is perceived as unsatisfactory, since the use of this known shared storage shelf together with frameless, consisting only of a glass undivided storage shelves in a refrigerator in the user leaves an aesthetically uneven impression.

DE 718 629 C discloses a support grid, in particular for refrigerators, that can be pulled out by a limited by a stop measure from the interior.

There is therefore a need for a development of the above-described refrigeration device, which also allows the use of unframed split storage shelves.

The object is achieved in that in a refrigerator, comprising a body with an inner container in which in a rear region of a side wall of an interior at least one groove is formed, in which a storage plate is supported supported, and a first support projection at the level of the groove is formed in a front wall portion of the side wall, wherein a first support projection upstream second support projection is formed at the same height in the front wall portion and respectively the groove, the first support projection and a recess formed with a carrier element as a releasably held second support projection equipped, are formed in one piece by deep drawing in the manufacture of the inner container of the body of the refrigerator. Of the two support projections can thus support one facing edges of the two parts of a split storage tray, while the second supports a front door near region of the front part plate of the split storage tray.

Preferably, a plurality of grooves are arranged in pairs in the rear area. One of the two grooves of each pair, preferably the lower one, may then serve to temporarily support a front door-near sub-panel of a split shelf, the rear sub-panel of which is received in the other groove of the pair.

The distance between two grooves of such a pair is preferably less than 7 cm. Since it is generally not important to be able to use the surface of the front sub-panel to deposit refrigerated goods when the front sub-panel is inserted under the rear, but merely to store them in a protected and readily available manner, there is a distance between four and one centimeter prefers. Spacing less than one centimeter makes placing the front subplate in the groove difficult and can complicate sidewall shaping.

Of the two support projections, at least one is preferably removable, so that it is not a hindrance if an undivided storage shelf or no storage shelf is arranged on the support projection corresponding height and it is therefore not needed.

According to the invention, that support projection is removable, which is closer to a door of the refrigerator adjacent.

The removable support projection is held according to the invention in a recess of the side wall.

A non-removable support projection is integrally molded from the sidewall.

The one of the two support projections, which is closer to a door of the refrigerator, moreover, preferably has a stop for a front edge of the storage tray, to preclude that a front part plate resting on the support projection, slides forward and support at its rear edge loses by the other support projection.

To secure the Abstellplatten in the refrigerator a detent is preferably formed on the side wall, each of which allows a lowering of a storage tray on support surfaces of the support projections, a lifting of the storage tray of the support surfaces, however, blocks. Such a latching lug is preferably placed on the side wall so that it acts on the front part of the plate in the case of a split shelf. From the point of view of a simple production, it is expedient if the latching lug is formed on the removable support projection.

A subdivided storage shelf can of course be part of the refrigeration appliance according to the invention. In this case, preferably corresponds to the depth of the front part plate of the storage tray, the depth of the grooves to ensure a secure mounting of the front part plate in the grooves.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Kältegerätes mit einer darin montierten geteilten Abstellplatte bei geöffneter Tür;

Fig. 2

einen schematischen horizontalen Schnitt durch das Kältegerät der Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

einen vertikalen Schnitt durch das Kältegerät entlang der Linie III-III aus Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines entfernbaren Stützvorsprungs gemäß einer ersten Ausgestaltung; und

Fig. 5

eine auseinandergezogene perspektivische Ansicht eines entfernbaren Stützvorsprungs gemäß einer zweiten Ausgestaltung.

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 perspective view of a refrigerator according to the invention with a split shelf mounted therein with the door open;

Fig. 2

a schematic horizontal section through the refrigerator of the Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a vertical section through the refrigerator along the line III-III Fig. 2 ;

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a removable support projection according to a first embodiment; and

Fig. 5

an exploded perspective view of a removable support projection according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows in perspective view a stand-alone refrigerator with a body 1 and hinged thereto, an open door 2. A side wall of the interior of the refrigerator has a substantially planar front portion 3, which is about two thirds to three quarters of the depth of the interior extends, and to the front portion 3 parallel, offset to the device center rear portion 4, which are interconnected by an inclined shoulder 5. In the rear region 4 and the shoulder 5, pairs of horizontal grooves 6 spaced from each other by a few centimeters extend. In the front region 3, pairs of support projections 7 and, respectively adjacent to the door 2, of depressions 8 are arranged in the grooves 6 of corresponding height , The grooves 6, support projections 7 and recesses 8 are integrally formed in each case in the manufacture of the inner container of the body 1 by deep drawing. The recesses 8 can be equipped by a user with support elements 9, which will be described in more detail later. The support members 9 allow the attachment of a split shelf, consisting of a rear part plate 10 which engages in opposite grooves 6 of the side walls and rests on support projections 7, and a front part plate 11 which is supported by support projections 7 and support elements 9.

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section through the refrigerator Fig. 1 at the level of the storage tray 10, 11. As you can see, extend the bottoms of the grooves 6 each flush the front portions 3 of the opposite side walls, so that the rear part plate 10 may have a simple rectangular shape and can easily consist of a pane of safety glass. Accordingly, the front part plate 11 may be a simple rectangular glass sheet,

Fig. 3 shows in a vertical section along the plane III-III Fig. 2 the refrigerator equipped with storage plates of different types. The upper two compartments of the refrigerator are each bounded by undivided storage plates 12, 13, of which the upper 12 is received in the lower groove of a pair of adjacent grooves 6, while the storage tray 13 engages the upper groove of such pair. The storage plates 12, 13 are further formed by only one piece on the side wall Support projections 7 supported. In each case corresponding height adjacent to the door 2 formed depressions 8 are left empty; they could be closed by plugs flush with the side wall to keep the side wall level and facilitate their cleaning.

The next lower pair of grooves 6, the upper is equipped with a rear part plate 10 of a shared storage tray. The front edge of the sub-plate 10 rests on a support projection 7. The associated front sub-plate 11 extends from the support projection 7 to a plugged into one of the recesses 8 support member 9. The two sub-plates 10, 11 thus form a continuous shelf.

In the lowest located pair of grooves 6, the upper is also equipped with a rear plate part 10; the associated front part plate 11 is received in the lower groove 6 of the pair. Thus, in the front area of the interior of high objects such as large-sized beverage bottles are housed, which would not fit standing in a single compartment. The front plate member 11 is housed in this way safe and secure, as long as it is not needed, and is ready for use again, immediately available. Due to the small distance between the two grooves 6 of each pair, the front sub-panel does not substantially affect the storage space available in the underlying tray. Since the length of the grooves 6 is substantially equal to the depth of the front part plate 11, this is securely held in the grooves 6.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a support element 9. The plastic injection molded carrier element 9 has a base plate 15, from the back of a pin 16 protrudes. The pin 16 is provided to engage frictionally in one of the recesses 8 in the side walls of the body 1. Like the depressions 8, it has a non-circular cross section in order to hold the carrier element 9 against rotation on the side wall.

In a lower region of the base plate 15, a projection 17 is formed, which has a horizontal support surface 18 for a storage tray or, in the case of a divided storage tray, for the front part of the plate. On one side, the support surface 18 is limited by a vertical stop surface 19. The stop surface 19 holds together with the front edge a lying at the same height rear partial plate 10 a held by the support member 9 front partial plate 11 immovably in the depth direction of the body 1.

In an upper region of the base plate 15, an elastic latching tongue 20 is formed. It is integrally connected at an upper end to the base plate 15, and a free lower end thereof is the support surface 18 opposite. The latching tongue 20 prevents accidental lifting of the sub-plate eleventh

To remove the sub-plate 11, this must first, as indicated by an arrow 21 in Fig. 3 indicated to be raised at the level of its rear edge, while the front edge is retained by the latching tongue 20. By a backward displacement, the sub-plate 11 is released from the latching tongue 20 and can be removed. Conversely, when re-attaching the sub-plate 11, first its rear edge is placed on the support projections 7 and then the sub-plate 11 is pivoted downward about this rear edge, where it passes over the locking tongues 20 of the oppositely mounted on the side walls support elements 9 and pushes back this. Once the sub-plate has reached the bearing surfaces 18 of the support elements, the locking tongues 20 jump back into the position shown in the figure and thus lock the sub-plate 11th

The lack of symmetry of in Fig. 4 shown support member 9 makes it necessary to produce two different, mutually mirror-symmetrical support elements 9 for the two side walls of the body 1. Fig. 5 shows a modified embodiment of the support element, denoted by 9 ', which is suitable for both side walls in the same way. In this modification, the projection 17 has a flat top 21, in the middle of an opening 22 is formed. An elbow 23 has a long horizontal leg, the upper side serves as a support surface 18 for a front plate member 11, and a shorter leg which forms the stop surface 19. A pin 24 formed on the longer leg engages in the opening 22. By pivoting the elbow 23 about the axis defined by the pin 24, the support member 9 'may assume two mutually mirror-image configurations each adapted for attachment to the left or right side wall of the body 1.

Claims (9)

1. Refrigerator, having a carcass (1) with an inner container, in which at least one groove (6) is formed respectively in a rear region (4) on both its side walls, into which groove (6) a shelf (10; 12; 13) can be inserted in a supported manner, and a first supporting projection (7) is formed at the level of the groove (6) in a front wall region (3) of the side wall, wherein a second supporting projection in front of the first supporting projection (7) is formed at the same level in the front wall region (3), characterised in that in each case the groove (6), the first supporting projection (7) and a recess (8), which is populated with the second supporting projection held in a detachable manner and embodied as a carrier element (9), are moulded in one piece with the inner container when the inner container of the carcass (1) of the refrigerator is produced by deep drawing the groove (6), of the first supporting projection (7) and of the recess (8).
2. Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterised in that a number of grooves (6) are disposed respectively in pairs in the rear region (4).
3. Refrigerator according to claim 2, characterised in that the distance between two grooves (6) of a pair is less than 7 cm.
4. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that one of the two supporting projections (7), which is in closer proximity to a door (2) of the refrigerator, has a stop (19) for a front edge of the shelf (11).
5. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a latching projection (20) is formed on the side wall, allowing the shelf (11) to be lowered onto bearing surfaces (18) of the supporting projections and preventing raising of the shelf (11) from the bearing surfaces (18).
6. Refrigerator according to claim 5, characterised in that the latching projection (20) is disposed on the supporting projection that is held in a detachable manner.
7. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a shelf (10, 11) that is divided in the direction of the depth of the interior space, of which a rear part (10) is inserted into one of the grooves (6) and a front part (11) is supported on the supporting projections (7).
8. Refrigerator according to claim 7, characterised in that the depth of a front part (11) of the shelf (10, 11) corresponds to the depth of the grooves (6).
9. Refrigerator according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that facing edges of the two parts (10, 11) are supported on a common supporting projection (7).

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