EP2212635A2

EP2212635A2 - Egg holder

Info

Publication number: EP2212635A2
Application number: EP08850009A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernd Pfister
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2007-11-16
Filing date: 2008-10-20
Publication date: 2010-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-20
Also published as: DE202007016076U1; WO2009062814A2; EP2212635B1; TR201807205T4; RU2010122492A; WO2009062814A3; CN101868683B; CN101868683A; RU2484395C2

Abstract

The invention relates to an egg holder (1) for a refrigerator, comprising at least one housing for at least one egg and a stand means (11) for setting the holder on a surface. According to the invention an egg holder (1) may be provided without the need to have a mirror symmetrical shape such that two identical egg holders (1) can be tightly placed adjacently in a door shelf (16) wherein the stand means (11) is designed for the optional setting of the holder in a first position and in a second inverted position.

Description

egg tray

The present invention relates to an egg tray for a refrigerator, comprising a holder with at least one receptacle for at least one egg and a stand means for placing the holder on a floor.

From WO 2005 / 054764A1 an egg carrier for a refrigeration device is known. The egg carrier has a carrier plate in which a plurality of receptacles are provided for each egg. The recordings are formed by openings in the carrier plate. Along a circumference of the support plate, a circumferential wall which is divided into a plurality of wall sections and forms a support means for the support plate extends. The plurality of wall sections extending from the support plate vertically downwards, so that feet are formed by the wall sections, which hold the support plate at a distance from a stalled egg shelf. The egg carrier in each case has a mirror-symmetrical contour with respect to two symmetry lines running perpendicular to one another along the center lines of the carrier plate. The width of egg trays is usually adapted to the depth of a door compartment or the egg shelf of a refrigeration device for which it is intended, i. E. The egg trays are inserted with little play between two side walls, which limit the egg shelf. Only such a double mirror-symmetrical shape of the egg carrier makes it possible to insert the egg carrier either in a first position or in a second position, which is rotated to the first position by 180 ° in the plane of the carrier plate in an egg shelf of a refrigerator. The egg trays are therefore generally rectangular in shape, so that they fit into the door compartment between two straight side walls running parallel to one another at a distance from one another.

In general, only two identical rectangular egg trays can be used side by side in the door racks. The two side walls can be formed by a skirt-like end wall of the door compartment and an inner wall of a refrigerator door. Sometimes, however, the inner wall of the refrigerator door may have an arcuate course due to its parallel arrangement with respect to an outer wall of a domed refrigerator door. If the egg trays are then again with little play between the apron-like front wall of the door compartment and the now bow-shaped insert the inner wall of the refrigerator door, so two juxtaposed egg carriers with divergent contours are required. According to the prior art, this means that two different egg carriers must be provided, since the egg trays are no longer in a first position and in a second position rotated by 180 ° in the plane of the carrier plate due to the different arcuate contours can be used in an egg shelf of a refrigerator.

The object of the invention is to provide an egg carrier which, even without having to have a mirror-symmetrical contour, is designed in such a way that two identical egg trays can be inserted next to each other into a door shelf exactly fitting.

The object is achieved by a refrigeration device with the features of claim 1. In particular, the solution according to the invention has the advantage that it is no longer necessary to move the egg carrier in mirror symmetry, i. to train alike on both sides of an imaginary midline.

By the stand means for selectively setting up the holder is formed in a first position and in a second, inverted position, eliminating the need to form the egg carrier mirror-symmetrical to be able to use identical egg tray next to each other in a door rack. With the solutions according to the invention results in a greater creative freedom for the formation of the egg carrier. In this case, a cost-effective production can continue to be maintained because the variety of parts need not be increased. Despite an extended design freedom, can still be done with a single design of the egg carrier.

The stand means may be formed for selectively placing the holder in a first horizontal position and in a second, rotated by 180 ° horizontal position. The known egg trays can be configured such that a second egg tray can be positioned 180 ° about a rotation axis perpendicular to the plane of the holder next to a first egg tray by rotating the egg tray. The invention now provides, in contrast to the prior art, not to rotate the egg carrier about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the plane of the holder, but about a parallel to the plane of the holder. to turn current axis of rotation. The egg carrier according to the invention is thus configured such that a second egg carrier can be positioned by turning, for example, analogous to the turning of a book page, next to a first identical egg tray.

The holder may be a carrier plate having openings, and the stand means may be configured to keep the carrier plate at a distance from the bottom in both the first and second layers. The holder could have two channels for holding eggs in horizontal positions, similar to that disclosed in WO 2005/045336 A1. In this case, however, the two parallel grooves shown there would have to point in opposite directions, so that the two channels form S-shaped in cross-section. Preferably, however, the holder is designed to hold eggs in standing positions. For this purpose, the holder has a carrier plate with openings, analogously as disclosed in WO 2005 / 054764A1. According to the invention and in contrast to this prior art, the carrier plate should be positioned so that the carrier plate is held in both the first and in the second position at a distance from the ground. Thus, it is possible that even after a turning of the egg carrier according to the invention a sufficient space between the carrier plate and the ground remains, so that standing eggs are reliably held by the openings. In an inverted position, an egg carrier according to WO 2005 / 054764A1 would no longer be able to hold the eggs in the openings, since the carrier plate would rest directly on the ground, and the eggs would not be able to penetrate into the openings and consequently would move around without foundation ,

The stand means may be configured to keep the carrier plate at the same distance from the ground in both the first and the second position. In other words, the invention provides to provide the support plate in a central height of the stand means, so that both in its original position, as well as in a turned position of the egg carrier, the support plate is positioned equidistant from the ground. Consequently, it is ensured that identical conditions for holding the eggs prevail in the openings of the support plate in the original and the turned position.

In the variants mentioned, the standing means can be formed by spaced stands which, starting from the carrier plate, extend away from the carrier plate in opposite directions. The Standmittel can by different kinds of Spacer means or feet are formed, as far as they allow to hold the carrier plate in a defined position from the ground. In order to be able to support the carrier plate at a distance from the ground both in an original and in an inverted position, the spacing means or feet should extend in opposite directions away from the carrier plate. This means that some of the feet are supported against the ground and the oppositely extending legs protrude upwards. In the inverted position, the so far upstanding feet are based against the ground and the previously supported against the ground feet stand up.

In this case, the feet can be formed by two opposite side walls which, following the contour of the carrier plate, extend along the longitudinal edges of the carrier plate and perpendicular to the latter. In addition to a single circumferential side wall and two separate side walls may be provided, which may be arranged in particular opposite one another. The opposite side walls can rest with a lower edge over their full longitudinal extent on the ground. Alternatively, projections may be formed on the lower edges of the side walls. In this case, only the projections on the floor and the other lower edges of the side walls are at a distance to the ground. Each side wall can also be subdivided into a plurality of side wall sections, so that only sections of lower edges rest on the floor. In all variants, the outer contour of the egg carrier may be substantially determined by the longitudinal edges of the carrier plate, wherein the side walls in particular with constant wall thickness, the contour of the longitudinal edges of the support plate following along this extend. The side walls may be integrally formed with the carrier plate and be made in particular by plastic injection molding together with the carrier plate. The egg holder can be made in particular of transparent plastic. A transparent design can allow the user to easily recognize the function of the reversibility of the egg carrier.

The turnability of the egg holder according to the invention makes it possible to fit an egg tray of the same design at two differently confluent positions of two mutually mirror-symmetrical forms of a door compartment. This may already be the case, for example, if at two opposite door-side ends of the door Lers in the door racks reaching inward indentations eg. For holding sections that hold the door racks on the refrigerator door, are available. If now two egg trays are to be used side by side in the door compartment, the left egg holder must, viewed from above, have a recess at its upper left corner. On the other hand, then the right egg carrier must have a recess at its upper right corner seen from above. It can therefore be used as a second egg carrier in a known embodiment no egg carrier of the same design. Rather, a separate egg carrier with differently positioned recess would have to be provided. Due to the inventive reversibility of the egg carrier, an egg carrier can be turned with a left upper recess, so that an egg carrier with right upper recess is formed. As a result, two egg trays of the same design can be used in the door racks. Apart from a recess at a corner of the egg carrier, the egg carrier may also have other contour deviations.

At least one of the opposite side walls may be curved in an arc shape. This opens up the possibility of giving the egg carrier various forms, which can also be selected in particular according to design aspects. In this case, the design can be chosen freely, without this adversely affecting cost-effective production. Furthermore, an egg carrier with a single design can be sufficient for both insertion positions in the door racks. There is no need to make a second egg carrier different in shape. In addition to increasing the variety of parts, there is no need to make separate tools, eg for a distinctive injection mold. A special requirement may be that in refrigerators that have a domed door, the curved shape also continues on the inner wall of the door. If the egg carriers are to be inserted precisely between this inner wall and a front apron of the door compartment, then at least one, preferably the side wall of the egg carrier facing the inner wall should have a curved shape corresponding to the inner wall of the door. Alternatively or additionally, the front apron of the door compartment can be curved. Then the egg carrier can be formed arcuately curved on two opposite side walls. The opposite side walls can therefore be formed in particular arcuately with different curvatures. There remain no gaps between the egg carrier and the inner wall of the door, but the entire room of the door compartment can be used for the egg carrier. in the Result, the egg carrier can be made larger, which, for example, instead of the usual six openings for six eggs now with comparable space seven openings for seven eggs can be provided.

Alternatively, one side wall may be arcuately curved and the other side wall may be straight. This is useful if either the inner wall of the door is cambered and the front apron of the door compartment is straight or the inner wall of the door is flat and the front apron of the door compartment is curved.

In particular, two opposite end portions of the two side walls may terminate at right angles to the outer edge of at least one end face of the carrier plate. This is particularly useful if exactly two juxtaposed egg trays are provided for the door rack, each extending over half the width of the door compartment and both egg trays are to follow the same arc of curvature.

An embodiment of the invention is described with reference to an egg carrier shown in the figures by way of example for a refrigeration appliance for household purposes. From the detailed description of this specific embodiment, there are also other general features and advantages of the present invention.

Show it:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an egg tray from above;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the egg carrier of Figure 1 from below.

Figure 3 shows two identical egg trays according to Fig. 1, wherein the egg carrier in a

Starting position and the second egg carrier is shown in a turned position;

Figure 4 shows the two identical egg trays of Figure 3 in their mounting positions in a door rack for a refrigerator for household purposes. An egg tray 1 is shown in Fig. 1 in a plan view from above. The egg carrier 1 has a carrier plate 2. The support plate 2 forms a holder for eggs, in which the support plate 2 is provided with openings 3. The openings 3 form receptacles for the eggs. In the carrier plate 2 shown, seven openings 3 are provided by way of example. Each opening 3 has a circular contour. Eggs inserted into the openings 3 are carried on the circular contour edge of the openings 3. There are two juxtaposed rows of openings 3 are introduced into the support plate 2, wherein the row shown in Fig. 1 above is provided with four openings 3 and the row shown in Fig. 1 below is provided with three openings 3. The openings 3 of the two rows are arranged offset to one another, so that space-saving as many openings 3 in the surface of the support plate 2 can be introduced. The support plate 2 is plate-shaped, thus has a uniform wall thickness, is flat and is bounded by two opposite straight outer edges 4a and 4b, and by two opposite longitudinal edges 5a and 5b. The first longitudinal edge 5a shown in Fig. 1 above has a greater curvature, as the second longitudinal edge 5b, which is shown in Fig. 1 below.

A first side wall 6a extends along the above-illustrated first longitudinal edge 5a of the carrier plate 2. A second side wall 6b extends along the second longitudinal edge 5b of the carrier plate 2 illustrated below. The first side wall 6a and the second side wall 6b each have a band-shaped configuration on, ie the side walls 6a, 6b extend with the same Ouerschnitt over the length of the longitudinal edges 5a, b. The Ouerschnitt the side walls 6a, 6b is rectangular with a narrow and a wide rectangle side. The side walls 6a, 6b adjoin the longitudinal edges 5a and 5b of the carrier plate 2 along their central heights. The side walls 6a, 6b extend in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the support plate 2. By arranging the side walls 6a, 6b along their middle heights against the longitudinal edges 5a and 5b of the carrier plate 2, the first side wall 6a is divided into a first upper base 7 and a first lower base 8. In an analogous manner, the second side wall 6b is divided into a second upper stand 9 and a second lower stand 10. The first lower base 8 and the second lower base 10 form a standing means 11 for an original position according to FIG. 1. The first upper stand 7 and the second upper stand 9 form the stand means 11 for a turned position according to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2 the egg carrier 1 according to FIG. 1 is shown in a position turned by 180 °, ie left and right sides are shown reversed and the top and bottom sides are positioned unverted. The Fig. 2 thus shows the egg carrier 1 of FIG. 1 from below.

In Fig. 3, two identical egg carriers 1a and 1b are shown. The egg carrier 1a shown on the left in FIG. 3 is positioned in an original position according to FIG. 1 and the egg carrier 1b shown on the right in FIG. 3 is positioned in a turned position according to FIG. The two transverse edges 4a of the two egg carriers 1 a and 1 b each form a front end 12 of the egg carrier 1a and a front end 13 of the egg carrier 1 b. Both ends 12 and 13 abut each other. A first, shown in Fig. 3 right end portion 14 of the side wall 6a of the egg carrier 1a ends at right angles, ie perpendicular to the transverse edge 4a. Likewise, the side wall 6b of the egg carrier 1a ends at a right angle to the transverse edge 4a. The same applies to a second, shown in Fig. 3 left end portion 15 of the side wall 6a of the egg carrier 1b, which ends at right angles, ie perpendicular to the transverse edge 4a. Likewise, the side wall 6b of the egg carrier 1b ends at a right angle to the transverse edge 4a. By the right angle i. vertical arrangement of the end portions 14 and 15 to the transverse edge 4a is achieved that the contours of the two egg trays 1 a and 1 b from the end portion 14 to the end portion 15 continuously merge into one another and no kinks or cracks in the common contour over both egg trays 1a and 1b arise can.

4 shows a door racks 16 for the door of a refrigerator. The door rack 16 has a trough-like design and has a bottom 17, a front apron 18, two opposing transverse walls 19a and 19b, and optionally a rear wall 20. Instead of a rear wall 20, the rear end of the bottom 17 of the door compartment 16 can be formed by an inner wall be completed a door of the refrigerator. Two identical egg trays 1a and 1b are inserted into the door rack 16. The egg carrier 1a shown on the right in FIG. 4 is identical in construction to the egg carrier 1a, but from the original position according to FIG. 1 into a 180 ° repositioned position of Fig. 2 repositioned. The egg carrier 1 a and the egg carrier 1 b abut each other with their transverse edges as shown in Fig. 3 and are used in this arrangement in the door rack 16. The egg carriers 1a and 1b join exact fit, so without large gaps with little play between the front guard 18 of the door compartment 16 and the rear wall 20 a. Both front apron 18 and rear wall 20 are curved arcuately formed. The side walls 6a and 6b of the egg trays 1 a and 1 b extend parallel thereto at a slight distance along the curvatures of the front apron 18 and the rear wall 20. Both egg trays 1 a and 1 b can be removed, for example, for cleaning purposes from the door rack 16 and reused ,

Claims

claims

1. Egg carrier for a refrigeration device, comprising a holder with at least one recording at least one egg and a stand means (11) for parking the holder on a floor, characterized in that the stand means (11) for selectively setting up the holder in a first layer and in a second, turned position is formed.

2. egg carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the stand means (11) is formed for selectively positioning the holder in a first horizontal position and in a second, rotated by 180 ° horizontal position.

3. egg carrier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holder is a support plate (2) with openings (3) as receptacles and the stand means (11) is formed, the support plate (2) both in the first, and in keep the second layer at a distance from the ground.

4. egg carrier according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the stand means (1 1) is formed to hold the carrier plate (2) in both the first, as well as in the second position at the same distance from the ground.

5. egg carrier according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stand means (11) of spaced feet (7, 8, 9, 10) is formed, starting from the carrier plate (2) in each case in opposite directions of extend this away.

6. egg carrier according to claim 5, characterized in that the feet (7, 8, 9, 10) of two opposite side walls (6a, 6b) are formed, which follow the contour of the support plate (2) along the longitudinal edges (5a, 5b) of the support plate (2) and extend perpendicular to this.

7. egg carrier according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one of the opposite side walls (6a, 6b) is curved curved.

8. egg carrier according to claim 7, characterized in that the opposite side walls (6a, 6b) are both arcuately formed with different curvatures.

9. egg carrier according to claim 7, characterized in that the one side wall

(6a) arcuately curved and the other side wall (6b) is straight.

10. egg carrier according to claim 7 to 9, characterized in that two opposite end portions (14, 15) of the two side walls (6a, 6b) at least one front end (12, 13) of the support plate (2) perpendicular to its transverse edge

(4a, 4b) terminate.