EP2020579A2 - Door actuation device for actuating the door of a fridge/freezer - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for operation of adoor (2) of a cooling/freezing box (3) in which at least one door can be swung. The device has an automatic drive (5) which forms an operational connection between the box (4) and the door and which provides for motion of the door between open and closed positions. The device is provided with electrical control (9), which operates in conjunction with a position transmitter, which passes on information on opening and closing the door to the control (9).

Description

The present invention relates to a door operating device for actuating a door of a refrigerator / freezer, which has a cabinet body to which at least one door is pivotally mounted.

From the prior art refrigerator / freezers are known which have hand-operated doors. Such devices either comprise only a handle or are additionally designed with a lever mechanism to overcome the suction force by the rubber seal in the closed position of the door. The opening of the door therefore usually requires a free hand of the operator, which is unfavorable when the operator carries the items that he wants to put in the fridge / freezer in his hands. The same applies if the operator removes items from the fridge / freezer and then has to close the door.

Another problem with hand-operated door operators is that the door does not always assume the safe closed position in the cabinet body by itself. A slight open position of the door often goes unnoticed by the operator, so that a secure cooling effect of the refrigerator / freezer is not guaranteed and the interior of the cabinet can freeze. Further, the refrigerator / freezer remains in a full power operating condition, causing unnecessary power consumption.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a door operating device for actuating the door of a refrigerator / freezer, which has a simplified operation and ensures a safe closing position of the door.

This object is achieved on the basis of a door operating device according to the preamble of claim 1 in conjunction with the characterizing features. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

The. The invention includes the technical teaching that an automatic drive is provided which forms an operative connection between the cabinet body and the door and with which a movement of the door between a closed position and an open position is executable.

According to the invention, a conventional refrigerator / freezer is extended with an automatic drive of the door, which is designed such that the door can be moved by the automatic drive, so that they are held both in the safe closed position in the cabinet body as well as in any open position can. The further advantage is a simplified operation, since the door no longer has to be manually moved by the operator, but the operator only has to activate or deactivate the drive.

Advantageously, the automatic drive has a motor-gear unit which acts on a door double element, which is brought into operative connection with the door. The automatic drive comprises a housing so that it is placed either in the upper area of the cabinet body in or on the ceiling or in the lower area of the cabinet body in the floor or on the floor plate. On the housing of the automatic drive the Türoppelelement is arranged, through which the movement is introduced into the door of the refrigerator / freezer. The door coupling element may preferably be arranged on a pendulum rotating shaft which extends out of the housing of the automatic drive. Consequently, the door double element performs a reciprocating rotary motion and can be guided end in a slide rail, which is located in the door of the refrigerator / freezer: Alternatively, the automatic drive can be integrated in the lower or upper part of the door, so the slide rail is inserted in the cabinet body and extends the lever-like door dual element between the drive in the door and the cabinet body.

Usually, the door is hinged to the cabinet body with at least one ceiling-side and one floor-side hinge provided. A drive of the door can therefore also be done by the door hinge on which acts the motor-gear unit of the automatic drive. An exemplary embodiment may be seen in a worm gear or a spur gearing of the transmission which sets the hinge pin of the door in rotation.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the door operating device according to the invention, this has an electrical control, which cooperates with a position sensor, which provides information about the opening or closing position of the door to the controller. The electrical control is preferably integrated in the housing of the automatic drive. The position sensor can be designed as an incremental encoder, which is arranged on the end of the motor, which is preferably designed as a DC motor (DC motor). Likewise, the arrangement of the incremental encoder on the shaft, which is made of the Casing of the automatic drive extends and the door dual element is attached.

Another embodiment of the position sensor may be provided in the form of a potentiometric slider which is either in the automatic drive or as an integral part of the slide within the door. About the potentiometric slider is also the position of the door relative to the cabinet body determined. In addition, the position sensor can be designed in the form of reed contacts, which in particular allow reliable detection of the closed position or the open position. The automatic drive may further comprise an accumulator to ensure a reliable drive of the door even in the event of a power failure.

The integration of the automatic drive within the cabinet body or the door can be provided so that it is not visible from the outside. Furthermore, the drive can be mounted so that no disturbing noises. In particular, the integration of the automatic drive in the floor area of the cabinet body lends itself to this.

According to an advantageous development of the door operating device according to the invention, this has a spring energy storage, in which an energy can be stored during an electromotive opening operation of the door, by means of which the door without electromotive assistance is again transferred to the closed position. The spring force accumulator has a compression spring, which is compressed by the electromotive opening operation, so that in the spring energy is stored. To comply with the opening position of the door, the automatic drive for example, continue to be energized. If the energization of the drive is switched off, the spring energy storage acts on the motor-gear unit or on the door double element in such a way that the closing movement of the door is initiated by the energy stored in the spring. This further increases the reliability of the complete closure of the door.

Preferably, the door operating device comprises a switch or sensor in communication with the automatic drive control, which switch or sensor is operable by an operator of the cabinet to activate the automatic drive to move the door. By means of such switches or sensors, an easy movement of the door can be detected by an operator, so that the initiated movement is sensed by means of the position sensor and the movement of the door is continued by the automatic drive. The operator gives an opening or closing pulse to the door, so that a light pull on the door activates the automatic drive and automatically moves the door to the open position. Conversely, the door can be moved in the open position in the closed position or in another open position by the operator just taps them or slightly presses against the door. In any case, the position sensor detects both the beginning of a movement and the direction of movement. The automatic drive is thus activated by the control so that the rest of the movement of the door is automatic. In this way, in particular a secure closed position of the door in the cabinet body can be ensured. The sensors can be designed as capacitive, inductive or optical sensors, wherein the switch is preferably designed as a key switch. Such an automatic drive gives refrigerators / freezers a new dimension of comfort. The combination of automatic opening and closing in conjunction with the controller and the sensors makes this possible.

According to a development of the door actuating device, the control automatically closes it by a predefinable maximum opening time of the door. This prevents the door of the refrigerator / freezer from being opened too long, so that the inside temperature can not rise above a limit. In addition, it is possible to use the controller to measure the internal temperature of the cabinet, whereby the automatic drive moves the door to the closed position as soon as a predefinable maximum internal temperature of the cabinet has been exceeded. Advantageously, temperature sensors are provided for measuring the temperature. The control of the door actuator may also be coupled to the already existing thermostat of the refrigerator / freezer. In addition, it can be provided that a warning signal is output by the controller when a predeterminable maximum opening duration of the door is exceeded.

A further advantageous embodiment of the door actuating device comprises an electromagnet and / or a permanent magnet, which is integrated in the door and / or in the cabinet body. The automatic drive can thus shortly before reaching the closed position to deactivate the operation of the door, so that the remaining movement of the door is in the final closed position by the electromagnet or by the permanent magnet. Conversely, the opening of the door from the final closed position can be done by the electromagnet, so that in particular the suction effect in the rubber seal of the door is overcome by the electromagnet. The subsequent movement of the door in the desired opening position can be done by the automatic drive.

Advantageously, the door operating device is designed in such a modular manner that it can be mounted on the outside on the bottom side or on the upper side of the cabinet and the door. The geometric dimensions of the door operating device can be adapted to the dimensions of the cabinet and the door, so that the height of the cabinet body is extended only by the height dimension of the door actuator, the door actuator is adapted in the dimensions of their lateral extent to the dimensions of the cabinet body.

A further advantageous embodiment can be done by the operation in so-called power less mode. This is understood to mean manual opening by hand and automatic closing of the door by the drive. The door remains in the hold-open position with a defined opening duration. The drive closes the door after this time has expired. An advantageous variant is when when closing the door this encounters an obstacle and the door stops. The door then moves through an angle of e.g. 5 ° again and then holds this position for a predetermined time. Thereafter, the door closes again and is subject to the specification of the maximum interior temperature of the refrigerator / freezer. If the setpoint of the interior temperature is exceeded, the door is closed via the drive.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description in which, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the invention is described in detail. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may each be essential to the invention individually or in any desired combination.

Figur 1

die Anordnung einer Türbetätigungsvorrichtung im Deckenbereich oder im Bodenbereich eines Kühl-/Gefrierschrankes;

Figur 2

den automatischen Antrieb der Türbetätigungsvorrichtung mit den im Antrieb angeordneten Komponenten;

Figur 3

eine mögliche Integration der Türbetätigungsvorrichtung im oberen Bereich des Kühl-/Gefrierschrankes;

Figur 4

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel der Türbetätigungsvorrichtung mit einem automatischen Antrieb, einem Türkoppelelement sowie einer Gleitschiene;

Figur 5

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel der Türbetätigungsvorrichtung mit einem länglich ausgeführten Gehäuse des automatischen Antriebs sowie dem Türkoppelelement und der Gleitschiene;

Figur 6

eine beispielhafte Integration der Türüetätigungsvorrichtung in den Bodenbereich des Kühl-/Gefrierschrankes und

Figur 7

die perspektivische Ansicht einer modulartig aufgeführten Türbetätigungsvorrichtung, welche außenseitig an der Bodenseite oder an der Oberseite des Schrankes und der Tür anmontierbar ist.

Show it:

FIG. 1

the arrangement of a door operating device in the ceiling area or in the bottom area of a refrigerator / freezer;

FIG. 2

the automatic drive of the door operating device with the components arranged in the drive;

FIG. 3

a possible integration of the door operating device in the upper part of the refrigerator / freezer;

FIG. 4

a first embodiment of the door operating device with an automatic drive, a door double element and a slide rail;

FIG. 5

a second embodiment of the door operating device with an elongated housing of the automatic drive and the Türkoppelelement and the slide rail;

FIG. 6

an exemplary integration of Türüetätigungsvorrichtung in the bottom portion of the refrigerator / freezer and

FIG. 7

the perspective view of a modular door operating device, which is externally mounted on the bottom side or at the top of the cabinet and the door anmontierbar.

FIG. 1 shows a door operating device 1 according to the present invention, which either in the bottom area or in the upper area of Cabinet body 4 of a refrigerator / freezer 3 is arranged. The door operating device 1 comprises an automatic drive 5, which has a closed housing 15, into which an electrical cable for power supply / signal supply is guided and from which extends a shaft on which a door double element 7 is rotatably arranged. The Türoppelelement 7 extends between the cabinet body 4 and the door 2 of the refrigerator / freezer 3. By a pivoting movement of the Türoppelelements 7, the door 2 can be moved relative to the cabinet body 4. Consequently, the door 2 is movable by the automatic drive 5 between an open position (as shown) and a closed position. The movement is indicated by an arrow on the door 2.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the automatic drive 5 according to FIG. 1 , The automatic drive 5 comprises a housing 15, which is arranged on the cabinet body 4 of the refrigerator / freezer 3. In the housing 15 of the automatic drive 5, a motor-gear unit 6 is integrated, wherein the end of the motor, a position sensor 10 is flanged. Furthermore, a controller 9 and a power supply 11 are integrated in the housing 15. From the gearbox of the motor-gear unit 6 extends a shaft which is driven in rotation and to which a door double element 7 is attached. The rotational movement of the Türoppelelements 7 is indicated by an arrow, so that upon rotation of the Türkoppelelements 7 to the shaft of the transmission, a closing movement of the door 2 relative to the cabinet body 4 is executable. The door dual element 7 thus extends between the automatic drive 5 and the door 2.

FIG. 3 shows an upper-side integration of the door operating device 1 in the cabinet body 4 of the refrigerator / freezer 3. The integration of the automatic drive 5 takes place in the ceiling region of the cabinet body 4, so that it is not visible to an operator (the upper lid of the cabinet body 4 is taken to illustrate the automatic drive 5). The Türoppelelement 7 extends between the cabinet body 4 and the door 2, and is guided both cabinet body side and door side through a longitudinal slot. In the door 2, a slide rail 8 is integrated, in which the end of the Türkoppelelementes 7 is longitudinally movably guided, for example by a sliding block. If the Türoppelelement 7 is set in rotation, the closing movement of the door 2 is initiated and the end of the Türkoppelelementes 7 slides along the slide rail 8. Thus, an automatic opening and closing movement of the door 2 relative to the cabinet body 4 is possible.

In FIG. 4 the door operating device 1 is shown in the non-installed state according to a first embodiment. This comprises an automatic drive 5, wherein the housing 15 of the automatic drive 5 has an approximately square basic shape. From the housing 15 extends a shaft to which the Türoppelelement 7 is attached, and can be offset by the rotation of the shaft in a rotational oscillating movement. The Türoppelelement 7 is longitudinally movably guided in the slide rail 8, wherein the slide rail 8 is inserted into the door of the refrigerator / freezer.

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the door operating device 1, wherein the housing 15 of the automatic drive 5 is elongated. The design of the housing 15 can thus be adapted to the space in the cabinet body of the refrigerator / freezer. The length of the Türkoppelelementes 7 and the length of the slide rail 8 are also adaptable to the respective installation conditions in the cabinet body and / or in the door of the refrigerator / freezer.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom-side integration of the door operating device within the refrigerator / freezer 3. The door operating device is integrated in a non-visible manner in the bottom area, wherein the cabinet body 4 has a longitudinal slot 16, from which the door double element 7 extends out. On the front side above the longitudinal slot within the door 2, a cover panel 12 is mounted, wherein the panel 12 can also be used over the longitudinal slot 16 in the cabinet body 4. This results in a visually high-quality integration of the door operating device, so that only the door double element 7 for the operator appears in appearance.

FIG. 7 shows a modular design of the door operating device 1, which is designed such that it can be externally attached to the bottom side or at the top of the cabinet and / or the door of the refrigerator / freezer. The door operating device 1 is formed with a door mounting member 13 and a cabinet body mounting member 14, the geometric dimensions of the door and the cabinet body of the refrigerator / freezer are adapted. On the side in the direction of the door mounting element 13, the automatic drive 5 is integrated within the cabinet body mounting element 14, wherein within the automatic drive 5, the motor-gear unit 6, the power supply 11 and the controller 9 are shown schematically. Between the door mounting member 13 and the cabinet body mounting member 14, the door double member 7 extends to allow pivotal movement of the door mounting member 13 relative to the cabinet body mounting member 14. Due to the modular design of the door operating device 1, a retrofitting of a conventional refrigerator / freezer with a door operating device 1 can be made possible. This is only the bottom side or ceiling side of the fridge / freezer mounted, so that no significant structural changes to the fridge / Gefirierschrank are necessary.

The invention is not limited in its execution to the above-mentioned embodiments. Rather, a number of variants is conceivable, which makes use of the illustrated solution even with fundamentally different types of use.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Door actuator

2

door

3

Refrigerator / freezer

4

cabinet body

5

automatic drive

6

Engine transmission unit

7

Door coupling element

8th

slide

9

control

10

locator

11

power adapter

12

cover panel

13

Door mounting element

14

Cabinet body mounting element

15

casing

16

longitudinal slot

Claims (14)

Door operating device (1) for actuating a door (2) of a refrigerator / freezer (3), which has a cabinet body (4) on which at least one door (2) is pivotally arranged, characterized in that an automatic drive (5) is provided, which forms an operative connection between the cabinet body (4) and the door (2) and with which a movement of the door (2) between a closed position and an open position is executable. Door operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the automatic drive (5) comprises a motor-gear unit (6) which acts on a Türkoppelelement (7), which is brought into operative connection with the door (2). Door operating device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the door actuating device (1) is designed in a modular manner and is arranged in or at the top or in or at the bottom of the cabinet body (4). Door operating device (1) according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the door (2) has a slide rail (8), in which the door double element (7) is guided longitudinally movable. Door operating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electrical control (9) is provided, which cooperates with a position sensor (10), which provides information about the opening or closing position of the door (2) to the controller (9). Door operating device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the position sensor (10) is designed in the form of an incremental encoder, a potentiometric slider or a reed contact to the position of the door (2) and / or the direction of movement of the door (2) sensed by an operator. Door operating device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a spring energy store is provided in which an energy can be stored during an electromotive opening operation of the door (2), by means of which the door (2) without electric motor assistance again in the closed position can be transferred is. Door operating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a switch or a sensor is provided and is in communication with the controller (9), and which is operable by an operator of the cabinet (3) to the automatic drive (5) to activate the movement of the door (2). Door operating device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the door movement by an operator by moving the door (2) can be introduced, wherein the initiated movement by means of the position sensor (10) is sensible, whereby the movement of the door (2) can be continued by the automatic drive (5). Door operating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control (9) by a predefinable maximum opening time of the door (2) closes this automatically. Door operating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that with the controller (9), a measurement of the internal temperature of the cabinet (3) is possible, wherein the automatic drive (5), the door (2) transferred to the closed position, as soon as a specifiable maximum internal temperature of the cabinet (3) is exceeded. Door operating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a warning signal can be output by the control (9) when a predefinable maximum opening duration of the door (2) is exceeded. Door operating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the door (2) and / or in the cabinet body (4) an electromagnet and / or a permanent magnet is arranged, wherein the automatic drive (5) shortly before reaching the closed position the operation of the door (2) is deactivated and the remaining movement of the door (2) takes place in the closed position by the electromagnet or by the permanent magnet. Door operating device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the modular door operating device (1) is designed such that this outside on the bottom side or on the top of the cabinet (3) and the door (2) can be mounted.

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