EP1953315A2 - Mobile fridge with a door lock with drop blocker - Google Patents

Abstract

Upon closing a refrigerator door, a hook-bolt lock (1) engages automatically and in turn releases the refrigerator door straight after activating an unlocking mechanism, which lifts a hook-bolt (7) against a lock catch. The hook-bolt lock has a locking device for fixing the hook-bolt in a raised position so that the refrigerator door is kept just magnetically closed. An independent claim is also included for a hook-bolt lock for a portable refrigerator.

Description

The invention relates to a mobile refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1 and a hook latch lock for such a mobile refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 3.

In mobile refrigerators for recreational vehicles such as campers, caravans, ships and the like, it is common to equip the refrigerator door all around with magnetic bars. These pull the refrigerator door in the closed state to corresponding metallic abutment of the refrigerator housing. They ensure that the refrigerator door fits all around tightly against the housing. This is especially true in the difficult conditions of driving, in which the mobile refrigerator is subjected to shocks, twists and accelerations, the tendency have the refrigerator door temporarily detached from the body of the refrigerator.

Usually, the refrigerator door has a compartment in which bottles can be stored. These bottles load the refrigerator door while driving with relatively large inertial forces. In addition, they have under unfavorable circumstances, the tendency to raise the refrigerator door when the vehicle is parked on sloping ground, as it is occasionally unavoidable even at campsites.

It is therefore known to equip such mobile refrigerators additionally with an automatically incident hook bolt lock, which "snaps" as soon as the refrigerator door is closed and then holds the refrigerator door by positive engagement. To reopen the refrigerator door, the hook latch must first be lifted. This is usually done by pressing a button that is embedded in the top of the refrigerator door and -. B. via a linkage - the hook bolt upwards, out of engagement with the latch bolt presses (so-called. Release mechanism). Such a hook bolt lock ensures that the magnetic closing forces can not be overcome unintentionally and the door opens unintentionally.

Such hook bolt locks are automatically incidental, because other additional locks, which must be deliberately and intentionally operated to fulfill their function, have not proven themselves. Because in practice shows that with additional but not automatic locks before departure is always forgotten to close the lock. The refrigerator door then opens in the next sharp turn. Then the contents of the refrigerator pours into the interior of the recreational vehicle, which is very unhygienic. In the case of recreational vehicles in particular, even dangers may arise if it is forgotten to close the additional locking mechanism before starting to drive. This especially for refrigerators, which are installed transversely to the direction of travel in the rear of the motorhome. In such refrigerators there is a risk that the refrigerator door jumps at a sharp braking and the contents of the refrigerator is catapulted towards the usually not opposite the living room completed cab.

However, the use of additional self-locking hook bolt locks of the known type also leads to problems. On the one hand, especially for permanent campers, who often stay in a single location for several weeks, it is extremely uncomfortable to be able to open the refrigerator door only when a separate release button has been pressed - instead of the refrigerator door - in the confines of the vehicle, which is usually inhabited by several people to be able to raise with one hand in a train, as usual at home. Such locks are especially difficult for families with small children. The release button usually mounted on the top edge of the refrigerator door can often not be reached by young children. This especially not if the refrigerator is installed as a high-temperature refrigerator to gain additional storage space under the refrigerator. As a result, adults have to get up unnecessarily often from the table during meals.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mobile refrigerator, which is secured by a hook bolt lock, on the one hand, the user in permanent mobility is protected from forgetting necessary for the drive locking the refrigerator door, but on the other hand, the possibility exists To be able to open the mobile refrigerator in phases of prolonged stationary use comfortably with a single movement, without first having to actuate an unlocking device.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. The locking member holding the hook latch in the lifted position and thus preventing the hooking bar from collapsing enables the hook latch to be permanently deactivated as long as the recreational vehicle is in a single place and therefore there is no need to secure the refrigerator door against accidental popping to have to. On the other hand, the hook latch can be reactivated quickly and permanently when the recreational vehicle is to be moved again.

Preferably, the obturator is adapted to be actuated independently of the unlocking mechanism - ideally such that the unlocking mechanism and the obturator are completely decoupled from each other, i. H. the unlocking mechanism in that the hook latch is held in the lifted position, no specific position is imposed. This not only represents a constructive simplification. On the contrary, it also ensures that the present use of a blocking element does not force any changes on the part of the proven unlocking mechanism.

In the prior art a variety of hook bolt locks are already known in quite a different context - usually such hook bolt locks are used for locking sliding windows or sliding doors in buildings.

Many of the known hook bolt locks already have a locking device in the broadest sense. A locking device capable of holding the hook latch in a lifted position when the sliding door or the sliding window is to remain freely reciprocable; d. H. if it is to be prevented that the hook bolt lock is incident as soon as the two halves of the sliding window meet. However, these locks consistently show a relatively complex construction. For these locks is trying to make the already existing actuating mechanism which is used to release the sunken hook bolt in the course of opening the sliding door or the sliding window, so that he is able to hold the hook latch in the lifted position.

So is out of the FR 2 131 119 a hook bolt lock for a sliding or sliding windows known in which the hook bolt is pivotally supported on the housing and carries on its back a toothing. In this gearing engages a linearly movable rack. This is for actuating the hook bolt connected to the actual unlocking mechanism for this hook bolt lock. Provided that the unlocking mechanism is designed accordingly, the rack can be locked in a position in which the hook bolt is lifted.

The construction of this lock is relatively complex, since the hook bolt must be provided with a toothing, which either has to be relatively precise, or must be lubricated in order to keep the operating forces within limits. Moreover, in this construction, the locking member is not operable independently of the unlocking mechanism. Due to this, this known hook bolt lock is extremely expensive to manufacture, and the release mechanism must be taken into consideration to ensure that the lock function of this lock can also be effective.

From the CH 326464 For example, a hook bolt lock intended for a displaceable space closure element is known, which is actuated via an actuating rod which moves a four-sided pressure piece back and forth. On the actuating rod, a shoulder is attached, which holds the hook bolt in the lifted position, as long as the actuating rod is held by the pressure piece in its upper positions. This hook bolt lock consists of a whole series of individual parts, is complex and therefore expensive. Again, it is so that it is not possible to use any unlocking mechanism together with the hook bolt lock, as must be taken on the part of the release mechanism consideration for the function of the castle.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide a small-sized hook bolt lock consisting of a locking element and an associated latch element, in which the hook latch is incident, which is adapted to be installed as a modular unit in a mobile refrigerator, which has an extremely simple structure owns and offers the possibility to fix the hook latch in a lifted position, but it represents a unit that is largely independent of the unlocking mechanism used on the respective refrigerator works.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 3. The hook bolt lock designed in this way represents a compact structural unit in which all components required on the part of the locking element are held in or on the latch housing, so that only the latch housing has to be fastened in order to mount the entire locking element as a closed unit. In this case, as far as the blocking member is concerned, no special consideration must be given to the unlocking mechanism. The locking element equipped with the locking element is thus also suitable for retrofitting. So it can replace a similar, but without locking organ equipped hook bolt lock an existing refrigerator door.

An advantageous development provides that the blocking member is a linearly guided by the bolt housing slide, which can be pushed into a first position and fixed there, in he fixed the hook bolt in the lifted position and in a second position in which he is the function of the hook bolt does not restrict. A slider that requires only a linear movement to be pushed from the first position to the second position, is extremely simple, requires minimal management and storage costs on the latch housing and requires little space.

Another advantageous embodiment provides that the slide is guided on the end face of the latch housing, which has the window for the passage of the hook-shaped locking portion, wherein the slide is guided there in a groove on the outside of the latch housing. In this way, the storage and management of the slide designed particularly simple. Because with its one side slides the slider in this construction on the already existing end wall of the bolt housing. Thus, only a kind of extension must be provided on this end face of the latch housing, which holds the slide in contact with the wall of the bolt housing leading him. In addition, the slider can be operated in this way even if the bolt housing, as is usually the case, at its two long narrow sides and at its side facing away from the locking portion narrow end face in the refrigerator door and thus inaccessible.

Advantageously, the groove encloses the slider only in sections, ideally less than 50% (relative to the main surface, i.e. the surface of the largest side of the slider). In other words, the groove encloses the slider only so that the possible extreme positions of the slide and the functions exerted in these positions by the slide functions are readily visible from the outside. In this case, the slider is preferably injected from a plastic material which is colored conspicuously different from the plastic material of the latch housing. These measures are advantageous because recreational vehicles usually have a very long life and change in the course of several times the owner. It is usually not guaranteed that each subsequent owner is really handed over the manual for the individual devices that informs him about the device functions. It therefore makes sense to design the slider in such a way that the respective user intuitively detects which function the slider has and how it is to be operated.

Finally, it should be noted that the invention can also be used sensibly for mobile refrigerators in buses or modern trucks for supraregional traffic, after the conditions encountered there are similar to those of recreational vehicles. Furthermore, the hook bolt closure according to the invention can in principle also be used for other equipment of recreational vehicles comparable with mobile refrigerators, as required by the requirements - for example for additional securing of a normally closed oven door by spring forces.

Further advantages and effects of the invention can be seen with reference to the embodiment described below

The Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the hook latch lock according to the invention in which the slide is in the deactivated position, ie in its second position in which it does not restrict the function of the hook bolt.

The Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of the Fig. 1 at a moment when the slider is just before its first position, where it engages and holds the hook latch in its lifted position.

The Fig. 3 shows that of the Fig. 1 and 2 shown embodiment in a state in which the observer facing housing shell is removed, so that the view of the interior of the bolt housing is free.

The Fig. 4 shows the slider of the embodiment in a single view.

The Fig. 5 shows the associated trap element.

The Fig. 6 shows the associated latch element with pulled out latch bolt.

The Fig. 7 shows a detailed view of the guide for the slider.

The Fig. 8 shows the door of a refrigerator according to the invention.

With reference to the figures and in particular to the hand Fig. 1 and 3 you can see that the latch housing is designed as simple as possible. It consists of two latchable, preferably injection-molded housing shells 3a, 3b, which are usually made of a suitable plastic. For high-priced, particularly resilient variants (crash safety in mobile homes) and metal die casting in question.

In the Fig. 3 To see right housing shell 3b serves as a bearing and holding part. It has for this purpose a journal on 4, on the hook bolt 7 is pivotally mounted. The journal 4 is ideally made longer than required for the mere storage of the hook bolt 7. This makes it possible, the bearing pin 7 in assembled housing in a corresponding recess of the left, in Fig. 3 Not shown housing shell engage, so that the bearing pin 4 is supported by the left L. Although the journals is hollow sprayed to avoid problematic material accumulations during injection molding, it does not break due to this measure even when the hook latch is suddenly loaded on train - for example, if the refrigerator contents catapulted in an emergency braking or an accident from the inside against the refrigerator door becomes.

The housing shells 3a, 3b have on their upper inner side a recess 6 which is intended to give a coil spring hold.

Finally, the right-hand housing shell 3b has a latching lug 5, which in the assembled state engages in a corresponding latching opening of the left-hand housing shell 3a. This simple catch 5 can not transmit large forces. But it is sufficient to keep the two housing shells 3a, 3b together securely until the assembly is done on the piece of furniture.

For mounting purposes, the latch housing has two or more through holes for mounting screws. These are designed so that the mounting screws not only hold the latch housing on the piece of furniture, but also firmly compress the two housing shells.

The hook bolt 7 is preferably made of metal, such as a stamped from a solid aluminum sheet part. The hook-shaped locking portion 8 has on its outside a run-on slope 9. This pushes the hook bolt 7 when closing the refrigerator door upwards, in a ready-to-fall position as soon as the hook bolt strikes the outer edge of the lock catch 20. The hook-shaped Locking portion has on its inside a chamfer 10, which is oriented such that the hook bolt 7 under load does not have the tendency to jump up, but, on the contrary, has a tendency to dig more and more to the lock latch. Finally, the hook bolt on its upper narrow side a mandrel 11. This mandrel 11 serves as a bearing mandrel. He holds together with the previously mentioned recess 6 in the latch housing a coil spring.

This coil spring biases the hook bolt 7 in the direction of its retracted position. This in a simple and effective way. The coil spring is summarily claimed not only to pressure along its main axis, but, as held accordingly between the latch housing and the hook bolt, even at a bend oblique to its main axis.

The hook bolt 7 protrudes on its one side with its intended for collapsing in the lock latch portion 8 and on its other side with an elongated, bar-like extension of the bolt housing out, see. Fig. 3 , The function of this bar-like section will be explained later. Otherwise, the hook latch 7 and the spring biasing it are surrounded by the latch housing consisting of the two housing shells 3a, 3b, or even completely enclosed here. In this way, results in a compact, consisting of only a few parts and correspondingly inexpensive locking element, so to speak, a locking module.

The blocking device is designed here in the form of a slider 14, which allows an extremely simple construction.

The bearing or guide of this slide 14 is mounted on the outside of the latch housing. For this purpose, a tab 12a, 12b is sprayed onto both housing shells 3a, 3b in the region of the end face of the latch housing which later faces the locking section, which in each case represents an extension of the large main surface of the relevant housing shell. These rags 12a, 12b give the slider 14 acting as a blocking member, which slides on the outside of the end face of the bolt housing along, the lateral guide. At least one of the flaps, here even both of the flaps 12a and 12b, carry a further, orthogonally arranged flap 13a, 13b. Because of this, the slider is partially encompassed in sections and slides, so to speak sections in a surrounding him like a belt channel.

The slider 14 itself has as a basic shape the shape of a relatively thin, elongated rectangular plate, cf. Fig. 4 , As you can see, this plate is slotted from its front side to about two-thirds of its length. The slotted area forms two leaf springs 15a, 15b, each of which carries a latching extension 16a, 16b at its outermost end. These latching projections 16a, 16b engage in recesses 17a, 17b assigned to them in the tabs 12a, 12b which provide the lateral guide. In this way, the slider can be fixed in a first position, in which it fixes the hook bolt in the lifted position and in a second position in which it does not restrict the function of the hook bolt. This first position is from Fig. 1 shown the second position of Fig. 2 ,

The Fig. 2 makes the function of the slider 14 clearly visible. When the slider is in its first, pushed up position, then form the two extreme ends of the leaf springs 15a, 15b with their latching projections 16a, 16b at the same time a bearing surface or a stop for the hook latch. This support surface supports the hook latch and prevents the hook latch continues to lower, in its retracted position. The hook latch is deactivated in this way.

It will also be appreciated that the non-slotted portion of the slider 14 is provided with an aperture 18 into which, if necessary, a pin, a small screwdriver, the tip of a ballpoint pen or the like may be inserted to reciprocate the slider , see. eg Fig. 4 ,

However, the slider 14 can be easily moved back and forth without such aids usually. Because the latching projections 16a, 16b of its leaf springs 15a, 15b and the corresponding recesses 17a, 17b in the worrying for lateral guide lobes are designed so that the slide readily thereby be pushed from its first position to its second, the hook latch not obstructing position can be that one pushes the hook bolt as such with the hand down, in its position corresponding to the retracted position. The pressure on the hook bolt drives the slider out of its catch and pushes it down to its second position, where it engages again. Conversely, the slider 14 can also easily press from its second to its first position. How to get in Fig. 1 sees, he surmounted in its second position, the lower edge of the latch housing down. In this way, the slider 14 is easily accessible to be pushed upwards.

How to last at the hand of the Fig. 2 and 7 sees the channel from the two provided for lateral guidance tabs 12a, 12b and the third, orthogonal thereto arranged tabs 13a, 13b only a small portion of, ie a portion which engages around and covers only a limited portion of the slider 14. The majority of the slider 14 remains visible. So it is always possible to intuitively grasp the function of the slider without much thought. This is particularly true when the slider is made, for example, of red colored plastic and thereby stands out against the white or gray latch housing.

As already mentioned above, the hook latch 7 protrudes on one side with its locking section intended for engagement in the latch and on the other side with an elongated, bar-like extension out of the latch housing. This elongated, beam-like extension serves for coupling the unlocking mechanism, the z. B. consists of a rod and presses from above on the beam-like extension, preferably without being firmly connected to this. The rod is in turn connected to a release button, which is recessed in the upper edge of the refrigerator door.

The Fig. 5 It shows a housing, which carries the actual latch 20, which framed the opening into which the hook latch 7 with its locking portion 8 is incident. The housing also houses the refrigerator lighting in the form of a light-emitting diode-equipped board, which radiates through an opaque-covered window in the cold room.

The Fig. 6 shows the latch member with pulled out and latched there lock latch 20. The latch allows the refrigerator door to be fixed in a position in which it leaves a gap to the refrigerator, so that it is ventilated and even with prolonged non-use of the refrigerator and / or not completely cleaned refrigerator does not form an unpleasant dish, but the refrigerator can dry out.

Figure 7 shows in detail how the slider 14 is guided, i. how the channel is designed, the formation of which the right housing shell 2b contributes with its lobes 12b and 13b.

The Fig. 8 shows the door of an inventively equipped mobile refrigerator. The button T of the refrigerator door actuated via a linkage, not shown, within the door, the beam-like extension B of the hook bolt 7 to unlock the hook latch 7.

Subsequently, it should be noted that the previously referred to as the left and right housing shell components can also be referred to more generally as the first and second housing shell. The same applies mutatis mutandis to all previously mentioned components in which the terms appear on the left and right.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

locking element

2

bolt housing

3a

first housing shell

3b

second housing shell

4

pivot

5

Latch for locking the housing shells together

6

Recess for coil spring

7

hook bolt

8th

Locking section of the hook bolt

9

outer bevel of the hook bolt

10

inner bevel of the hook bolt

11

Mandrel for coil spring

12a

left lateral guide tabs

12b

right lateral guide tabs

13a

left channel-forming retaining tabs

13b

right channel-forming retaining tabs

14

pusher

15a

left leaf spring of the slider

15b

right leaf spring of the slider

16a

Rastnaseder left leaf spring

16b

Rastnaseder right leaf spring

17a

Locking recesses in the left lateral flap

17b

Recesses in the right side flap

18

Breakthrough in the slide

19

case element

20

movable trap

Claims (20)

Mobile refrigerator with a magnetically locked against the body refrigerator door and an additional, automatically closing when closing the refrigerator door hook latch lock (1, 19), the refrigerator door only after actuation of an unlocking mechanism again releases the hook latch (7) relative to the latch (20) lifts , characterized in that the hook bolt lock (1, 19) has a locking member (14), by means of which the hook bolt (7) can be fixed in the lifted position, so that the refrigerator door is only magnetically locked. Mobile refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking member (14) is actuated independently of the unlocking mechanism so that the hook bolt (7) is fixed in the lifted position. Hook bolt lock for a mobile refrigerator according to one of claims 1 or 2, which consists of a latch element (19) and a locking element (1), wherein the locking element in turn consists of hook latch (7) having at its one end a hook-shaped locking portion (8) , and from a bolt housing (3, or 2a, 2b), in the interior of the hook bolt (7) is pivotally mounted and which has a window from which protrudes the hook-shaped locking portion (8), and a spring, the hook bolt ( 7) in the direction of its retracted position, characterized in that the hook bolt lock (1, 19) has an independently operable locking mechanism of its associated locking member (14), by means of which the hook bolt (8) are set by overcoming the spring bias in the lifted position can; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to claim 3, characterized in that the locking member (14) is a linearly guided by the bolt housing (3, or 2a, 2b) slide, which can be pushed into a first position and fixed there, in the he sets the hook bolt (8) in the lifted position and in a second position in which he does not restrict the function of the hook bolt; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to claim 4, characterized in that the slide (14) is guided on the end face of the lock housing, which has the window for the passage of the hook-shaped locking portion, wherein the slide (14) in a groove (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) is guided on the outside of the latch housing (2); Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to claim 5, characterized in that the groove (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) surrounds the slider only partially and preferably less than 50%, so that the possible extreme positions of the slide (14) and the then each function exerted by the slide is readily recognizable from the outside, wherein the slider is preferably molded from a plastic material which is colored opposite the plastic material of the latch housing conspicuously different; A hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the position of the slider (14) determines the size of the free opening of the window for the passage of the hook-shaped locking portion (8); Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the slide (14) has the basic shape of a slit slit from one end side plate whose slotted region two leaf springs (15a, 15b), each with a latching extension ( 16a, 16b), wherein these latching projections in corresponding recesses (17a, 17b) on the latch housing (3, or 2a, 2b) engage, so that the slider (14) can be releasably fixed in a position in which he the hook latch (7) in its lifted position fixed and preferably can be releasably fixed in a second position in which he does not restrict the function of the hook bolt; Hook and bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the slide (14) has a point of engagement (18), preferably in the form of a hole in its non-slotted area, by hand or with a tool as a pen, pen or the like. Can be applied to the slider (14) overcoming the forces holding him and overcoming the hook bolt (7) in the direction of its retracted position pushing spring tension safely from one position to the other position to push ; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the catch (16a, 16b, 17a, 17b) of the slider in the position in which it fixes the hook bolt (7) in its lifted position, so is carried out that the slider (14) can be pushed by manual pressure on the hook bolt (7) in the direction of its retracted position to the position in which he does not restrict the function of the hook bolt; Hook and bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the slider (14), when in its second position, in which it does not restrict the function of the hook bolt (7), the lower edge of the bolt housing (3, or 2a, 2b) projecting downwards, so that a freely projecting from the bolt housing slide portion is available, where the slide can be pressed by the latch housing substantially unhindered upwards, in its first position. Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that the hook-shaped locking portion (8) facing away from the hook bolt (7) protrudes from the latch housing (3, or 2a, 2b) and there from the Bolt housing outstanding section of the Hook bolt is formed as a portion for coupling the unlocking mechanism; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 3 to 12, characterized in that the spring in the interior of the latch housing (3, or 2a, 2b) is housed; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 3 to 13, characterized in that the spring is a helical spring in the latch housing (3, or 2a, 2b) between a mandrel or a recess (6) of the latch housing and a mandrel (11) held the hook bolt and prevented by the bolt housing from dodging; Hook and bolt lock (1, 19) according to claim 14, characterized in that the spring is arranged and held so that it is not only regularly loaded on pressure in the direction of its major axis, but in addition to bending transversely to its main axis; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 4 to 15, characterized in that the slide (14) leading groove (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) even after the complete assembly of the bolt housing (3, or 2a, 2b ) is open in the direction of the slider movement on one side so that the slider can be inserted into the groove after inserting the hook bolt and the spring and after the closing complete assembly of the bolt housing from the outside; A hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to any one of claims 3 to 16, characterized in that the bolt housing (3) is in two parts (2a, 2b) and has through holes for mounting bolts for fastening the lock to a refrigerator, which are aligned and designed that the two halves (2a, 2b) of the latch housing are pressed together by the screw fastening frictionally; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to any one of claims 3 to 17, characterized in that the catch element is provided with a serving as an additional latch latch, movable portion which can be releasably latch in an advanced position in which the hook bolt so in the movable Section may be that the door can be locked in a position in which the refrigerator door is open a gap wide for the purpose of ventilation of the refrigerator compartment; Hook and bolt lock (1, 19) according to any one of claims 3 to 18, characterized in that in the trapping element (19) a lighting means is installed, which serves as a refrigerator lighting for illuminating the refrigerator compartment with the refrigerator door open; Hook bolt lock (1, 19) according to one of claims 3 to 19, in particular in conjunction with claim 11, characterized in that the locking member (14) communicates with a signal generator, which generates a warning signal "hook bolt lock disabled" at a given time, preferably when the Driver activates the ignition of the vehicle, the props retracts or performs other measures that are a sign of the upcoming journey.

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