EP1984686A2

EP1984686A2 - Refrigeration device and shelves therefor

Info

Publication number: EP1984686A2
Application number: EP07703693A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christoph Becke
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2006-02-06
Filing date: 2007-01-08
Publication date: 2008-10-29
Also published as: DE202006001830U1; WO2007090696A3; WO2007090696A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a shelf (3, 26, 39) for a refrigeration device, comprising two transversal supports (8, 9) and at least one longitudinal support (10) connecting the transversal supports (8, 9). Said longitudinal support (10) is made of a material which is not as rigid as the transversal support (8, 9).

Description

Refrigerating appliance and shelf for it

The present invention relates to a shelf for a refrigerator and a refrigerator, which is equipped with such a shelf.

The shelves of conventional refrigerators often consist of a flat glass plate, which is enclosed in a frame. Such a frame is simple and inexpensive to implement by molding the glass plate with a thermoplastic material. The strength of such a plastic material is generally smaller than that of metal parts comparable cross-sectional area, so that a large-area support of the shelves on the inner container of the refrigerator is required to achieve sufficient carrying capacity of the shelves. However, this large-scale support leads to restrictions in terms of the placement of the shelves inside the refrigerator. Although it would be conceivable to provide a shelf for a refrigerator, in which the conventional plastic frame is replaced by a metal frame, but such a frame would have to be made of several parts and attached to the glass plate, which would significantly increase the manufacturing cost of the shelf ,

There is therefore a need for a shelf for a refrigerator, which is inexpensive to implement and yet has a high load capacity, even if it is supported only on a small area.

The object is achieved in that at a shelf with two cross members and the cross member connecting longitudinal members, the side members have a smaller area moment of inertia than the cross member and therefore show a greater deflection than the cross member at the same load. This is achieved in a particularly simple manner in that the side members are made of a less solid material than the cross members, whereby the material for the side members is generally available cheaper than the material of the cross member.

In particular, the cross member may be made of metal and the side rail made of plastic. The use of metal at least for the front of the two cross members, that is those cross member, which faces the mounted in the refrigerator shelf in the door of the refrigerator, gives the shelf a High-quality appearance, which harmonises well with modern designs of the refrigeration device housing, in which the housing has large-area bare metal surfaces.

In order to establish a connection between longitudinal and transverse beams while making the longitudinal beam inconspicuous, it is preferred that at least one end of the longitudinal carrier engages in a recess of at least one of the cross members. The cross member may be implemented simply and inexpensively as extruded profiles, in which case the recesses which receive the ends of the longitudinal member extend over the entire length of the cross member.

According to a preferred embodiment, there are at least two longitudinal members which, together with the cross members, surround an opening of the shelf in the shape of a frame. This opening may be filled by a flat plate, wherein the plate is preferably inserted from above into the opening. According to an alternative embodiment, one or more elongated shells may be held in the opening, each of which may serve to receive a reclining bottle.

An increased stability of the shelf is achievable if the side members are integrally connected at their ends. In this case, the connecting portions of the longitudinal members may optionally be accommodated in the already mentioned recesses of the cross member.

At one of the cross member preferably a strip-shaped footprint is formed for parking a bottle of sufficient width. In particular, in combination with the above-mentioned elongated shell, it is thereby possible to accommodate bottles standing and lying in the refrigerator, wherein a standing with a visible label standing bottle can serve to indicate a user the type of lying in a behind behind shell bottle.

In order to prevent the standing bottles from falling down, especially when accessing bottles located behind, the footprint is preferably limited by a railing. The railing may be integrally formed with the cross member or attached to this releasably. A refrigerator according to the invention comprises, in addition to a first shelf of the type described above at least a second shelf whose depth is less than that of the first shelf, so that it can be placed above the first shelf at a small distance from this, without the installation of bottles hampering on the first shelf.

The cross member of the shelf according to the invention preferably have at their longitudinal ends on pins projecting in the lateral direction on the side members. These pins can advantageously be used alone to support the shelf in the inner container of a refrigerator. By first support points for both cross beams, which support the shelf in a horizontal position, and second support points are provided for one of the two cross members on an inner wall of such a refrigeration device, which together with the first support points of the other cross member support the shelf in a downhill position is created the ability to accommodate bottles in an inclined position in the refrigerator, in which their labels are much easier to read than when exactly horizontal storage.

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 is a schematic view of a refrigerator with shelves according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a tray equipped with shells for the prone intake of bottles;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the shelf of Figure 2, in which the shells are omitted except for one.

Fig. 4 is an analogous to Fig. 3 view of a second shelf, wherein also only a single shell is shown;

5 shows an example of the arrangement of the shelves of Figures 3 and 4 with reference to a schematic section through a refrigerator. Fig. 6 is a similar to Figure 5 section showing a modified arrangement of the shelves.

FIG. 7 is a schematic section similar to FIG. 5, showing a modified arrangement of the shelves. FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view, analogous to FIG. 3, of a shelf; FIG.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-section through the shelf of Fig. 8; and

10 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the shelf of FIG .. 8

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the invention. A body 1 of the device is constructed in a manner known per se from an outer skin joined together from metal plates and an inner container 2 deep-drawn from plastic, on the side walls of which shelves 3 are supported. A hinged to the body 1 door 4 is substantially composed of an insulating glass pane 5 with an inner and an outer glass plate and an enclosed Isoliergasfüllung, wherein the inner glass plate provided in its edge region with a frame-shaped opaque coating 6 and a magnetic seal 7 attached thereto is. A transparent central region of the insulating glass pane 5 ensures even with the door closed 4 insight into the interior of the device.

One of the shelves 3 is shown in Fig. 2 in a plan view and in Fig. 3 in a perspective view. The shelf is assembled from a front and a rear cross member 8, 9, each extending in the width direction of the body 1 and the facing away from the viewer in Fig. 3 front cross member 8 of the door 4 of the refrigerator faces, two side rails 10 and a A plurality of elongate shells 1 1, six each in the case shown here.

The cross members 8, 9 are extruded profiles made of aluminum, stainless steel or the like, in which case the rear cross member 9 has an approximately C-shaped cross-section and the front cross member 8 has a cross section in the form of a lying T. Of the Crossbar 12 of the T forms one of the door 4 facing end face of the shelf 3 and the foot is a horizontal shelf 13, whose extension in the depth direction of the body 1 in approximately the width of the shells 1 1 and the diameter of a lying in the shell 1 1 or on the storage area 13 standing to be placed bottle, in particular a commercial wine bottle of 0.7 to 1, 0 I capacity corresponds.

An upper portion of the crossbar 12 can serve as a stop 23, which protects bottles on the shelf 13 from falling down, in particular, when a user accesses these bottles on a lying bottle in one of the shells 1 1 passes. Alternatively, such a railing can also be releasably clamped to the cross member 8, wherein such railing can be higher than the upper portion of the crossbar 12 and can provide a correspondingly more effective protection.

The longitudinal members 10, which connect the cross member 8, 9 together, are injection molded from plastic. Their rear ends each engage positively in the groove 14 of the rear cross member 9 and are integrally connected to each other in the interior of this groove 14 by a beam 15, which fills the groove 14 over its entire length and together with the cross member 9 in the lateral direction over the Side member 10 protruding rear pin 16 forms. Also below the storage area 13 of the front cross member 8, the side members 10 are integrally connected by a beam 17. Front pins 18 are on the one hand by the front cross member 8 and on the other hand formed by one piece with the longitudinal members 10 projections.

The molded from a transparent plastic or safety glass shells 1 1 are channel-shaped with a circular arc-shaped cross-section and closed end walls 19 at the front and rear end of the trough. A projecting from an upper edge of the end wall 19 horizontal web 20 and adjoining end portions 21 of the channel are supported on the cross members 8, 9. It may be provided a not shown in the figures latching to secure the shells 1 1 in the frame 22 surrounded by the transverse and longitudinal members 8, 9, 10 opening and / or determine their position in the width direction of the shelf 3.

FIG. 4 shows a second shelf 26 in a view analogous to FIG. 3. This shelf 26 has front and rear cross member 27, 28 in the form of extruded profiles of metal, which face each other in mirror image and the same cross section Here, too, longitudinal members 29 are integrally connected by transversely into the grooves of the cross member 27, 28 transversely extending over the entire length of the cross member into laterally beyond the side members 29 protruding front and rear Pins 31, 32 extend.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the placement of the shelves 3, 26 and of bottles 33 on these shelves in the body 1. The height of the inner container 2 in the figure corresponds approximately to the height of two bottles 33, it being understood that the height of the inner container can be any multiple of the height of the bottles. Halfway up the inner container 2 is the shelf 3 with lying and standing on the shelf 13 of the front cross member 8 bottles 33. About the lying bottles and behind the standing (left of these in the illustration of FIG. 5) are two shelves 26th arranged, in turn, carry the bottle 33. Thus, behind each standing bottle 33 three lying can be accommodated, which are expediently all of the same type, so that a user can immediately recognize the type of the underlying lying on the label of the standing bottle.

Further standing bottles 33 are placed directly on the bottom of the inner container 2; also they each cover two shelves 26 of the type shown in Fig. 4 and trays 1 1, which may be placed directly on the bottom of the inner container.

Fig. 6 is a second schematic section through a refrigerator, analogous to the section of Fig. 5, which shows a possible arrangement of the shelves 3, 26. Horizontal grooves 34, 35, 36 formed on the side walls of the inner container 2, which have been omitted in FIG. 5 for the sake of clarity, are shown in FIG. While front and rear pins 18 and 16 of the shelf 3 each engage the same groove 36 so that the shelf 3 is horizontal, the shelves 26 are each associated with two grooves, an upper 34 and a lower 35, wherein the rear pin 32 in the upper groove 34 and the front pin 31 are inserted into the lower groove 35, resulting in a forward sloping position of the shelves 26 results. This position makes it easier for a user to recognize the label of a bottle lying on one of the shelves 26, if no bottle of the same type stands in front of it. FIG. 7 shows a further section, analogous to FIGS. 5 and 6, showing another arrangement of shelves 3, 26 in the body 1. As in the embodiment of FIG. 6, two shelves 26 are inclined in the upper region of the inner container 2. The underlying shelf 3 is inserted in the inverted orientation, with the front cross member 8 to the rear wall of the body 1, into the inner container 2, wherein the pins 18 of the cross member 8 in the groove 36 and those 16 of the cross member 9 in an underlying groove 37 intervene. A bottle 33 carried by the shelf 3 thus comes closer to the door in the inner container 2 than bottles 33 on the shelves 26 above, and a label on the belly of the bottle 33 on the shelf 3 is conveniently visible to a user. This allows the user, if the bottles are sorted sorted by the label of the visible on the shelf 3 bottle on the type and the type of bottles in overlying shells of the shelves 26 to close without an upright bottle access to the hindered lying bottles.

Fig. 8 shows a further embodiment of a shelf 39, which is intended to be placed horizontally in the inner container and to form a carrier for refrigerated goods of any kind. The shelf 39 comprises cross members 8, 9 and longitudinal members 10 which are integrally connected to one another by cross beams and which are identical to those of the shelf 3 from FIG. It differs from the shelf 3 in that, instead of the channel-shaped shells 1 1, a flat glass pane 40 fills the opening 22 surrounded by the transverse and longitudinal members. As can be seen in the transverse and longitudinal sections of Figures 9 and 10, the glass sheet 40 is secured to the shelf 39 in that the downwardly open, a U-shaped cross-section having longitudinal member 10 in the upper region of their mutually facing side edges with a recess a horizontal shoulder 41, rest on the lateral edges of the glass sheet 40. Corresponding shoulders 43 are also formed on the longitudinal beams 10 connecting crossbar 15, 17, wherein the storage surface 13 of the front cross member 8 and an upper leg 42 of the rear cross member 9 extend above these shoulders 43 and so secure the glass pane 40 against falling out. Alternatively, one could level over the entire depth of the shelf

Obtain surface, the top of the glass pane 40 also be flush with the shelf 13 and the upper leg 42 and each rest with their lateral edges on shoulders of the side members; In this case would be to secure the glass pane 40 a bond into consideration.

Claims

claims

1 . Shelf (3; 26; 39) for a refrigerator with two cross members (8, 9; 27, 28) and with the cross members (8, 9; 27, 28) connecting longitudinal members (10, 29), characterized in that the side members (10, 29), a lower area moment of inertia than the cross member (8, 9, 27, 28).

Second shelf (3; 26; 39) according to claim 1, characterized in that the side members (10, 29) are made of a less solid material than the cross members (8, 9; 27, 28).

3. Shelf according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cross members (8, 9, 27, 28) made of metal and the longitudinal members (10, 29) are made of plastic.

4. Shelf according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one end of the longitudinal carrier (10, 29) engages in a recess (14) of one of the cross member (9).

5. Shelf according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross members (8, 9, 27, 28) are formed as extruded profiles.

6. Shelf according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transverse beams (8, 9, 27, 28) and the longitudinal members (10, 29) an opening (22) surrounded like a frame.

7. Shelf according to claim 6, characterized in that the opening (22) by a flat plate (40) is filled.

8. Shelf according to claim 6, characterized in that in the opening (22) at least one elongate shell (1 1) is held.

9. Shelf according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the longitudinal members (10, 29) are integrally connected to one another at their ends.

10. Shelf according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on one of the cross member (8) is formed a strip-shaped footprint (13) of stopping a bottle (33) of sufficient width.

1 1. Shelf according to claim 10, characterized in that the footprint (13) is limited by a stop (23).

12. Shelf according to claim 10, characterized in that the railing (23) is formed integrally with the cross member (8).

13. Shelf according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the stop (23) is releasably secured to the cross member.

14. Refrigerating appliance with at least one first shelf (3) according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that it further comprises at least a second shelf (26) of lesser depth than the first shelf.

15. Shelf according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the cross members (8, 9, 27, 28) at their longitudinal ends pins (16, 18, 31, 32) which in the lateral direction on the longitudinal members (10 , 29).

16. Refrigerating appliance with a shelf according to claim 15, characterized in that on an inner wall of the refrigerator first support points (34, 36) for both cross members (8, 9, 27, 28), the shelf (3, 26) in a horizontal position support, and second support points (35, 37) for one of the two cross members (9, 27) are formed, which together with the other cross member (8, 28) supporting first support points (34, 36) the shelf (3, 26) hold in a downhill position.