EP2364422B1

EP2364422B1 - A cooling device comprising a vegetable container

Info

Publication number: EP2364422B1
Application number: EP09752815A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Oguz Cetinturk; Soner Kahraman; Ahmet Onur Moza; Resul Yavuz
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2008-12-05
Filing date: 2009-11-13
Publication date: 2012-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-13
Also published as: WO2010063549A2; ES2397251T3; EP2364422A2; WO2010063549A3

Description

The present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a vegetable container which makes storage of foodstuffs easier.
The cooling devices comprise a body insulated from the exterior wherein foods and beverages are stored and a vegetable container, disposed inside the body for storing fruits and vegetables. The foods placed in the vegetable container are generally spoiled rather quickly therefore the vegetable container is cooled more sensitively than the interior volume of the body. In the technique, vegetable containers are provided having perforated walls wherein air can flow so that the fruits and vegetables are prevented from spoilage by sweating and contacting each other and the walls.
A cooling device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from US 2003 052583 . In the state of the art Korean patent application KR20040048774 and United States of America patent application US2003052583 , a vegetable container is described having a partitioned space with a net wherein the fruits placed therein can breathe. The width of the storage space can be adjusted by seating the ends of the supporting frames into the grooves on the upper frame formed at the upper side of the vegetable container body at predetermined intervals.
The object of the present invention is to realize a cooling device that comprises a vegetable container having a shelf for supporting and storing the foodstuffs, which occupies a smaller amount of space when not in use.
The cooling device designed to fulfill the object of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a body wherein foodstuffs to be cooled are stored, a vegetable container placed inside the body and at least one shelf disposed in the vegetable container.
The shelf comprises more than one binding member, connected movably to each other from their ends, moving like an accordion, forming a space therebetween in the open position whereon the foodstuffs are stored, and stowed away by folding on one another in the closed position.
The shelf furthermore comprises more than one binding member that movably connects the carriers to each other from their ends and maintains the carriers to stay side by side in "V" shapes.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the carriers are shaped like a plate having a great number of holes thereon allowing passage of air.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the carriers are configured as wires. In this embodiment, the binding members are configured as rods and some of them are arranged side by side at one level of the vegetable container and the others are arranged side by side at another level. The carriers extend between the binding members at different levels and vertically to the binding members, with one end pivoted to one binding member and the other end to the other binding member and thereby form one leg of the "V".
In another embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container comprises stoppers that maintain the binding members to remain in the desired open position.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container comprises a frame suspended from the entry orifice.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container comprises two rails on its two opposite side walls for mounting, dismounting the frame and at least one opening on its side wall without a rail, allowing the frame to partially project out of the vegetable container if desired, when the shelf is mounted thereon.
By means of the present invention, the foodstuffs placed in the vegetable container can be stored for a long period of time without spoiling and without being in contact with each other and the base of the vegetable container.
A cooling device designed to fulfill the object of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a cooling device.
Figure 2 - is the sideways schematic view of a vegetable container.
Figure 3 - is the exploded view of a vegetable container in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 - is the perspective view of a frame.
Figure 5 - is the view of detail A in Figure 4.
Figure 6 - is the perspective view of a shelf.
Figure 7 - is the perspective view of a shelf in the open position mounted on a frame.
Figure 8 - is the perspective view of a vegetable container when the shelves are in the closed position in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 - is the perspective view of the vegetable container when the lower shelf is in the open position in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 - is the perspective view of a vegetable container when the frame and the shelf suspended therefrom are in the position of drawn outwards from an opening in an embodiment of the present invention.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cooling device
2. Body
3. Vegetable container
4. Shelf
5. Carrier
6., 106. Binding member
7. Stopper
8. Frame
9. Rail
10. Opening

The cooling device (1) comprises a body (2) wherein the foodstuffs and the beverages are placed, a door that separates the body (2) from the exterior in a leak-proof manner and provides access into the body (2) when opened, at least one vegetable container (3) disposed inside the body (2) which can be pulled forward to be carried outside of the body (2) and at least one shelf (4) placed inside the vegetable container (3) (Figure 1).
The shelf (4) comprises more than one binding member (6, 106), arranged parallel to each other in at least two different levels and

more than one carrier (5), forming sequential V shapes with one end mounted to the binding member (6) at the upper level, and the other end mounted to the binding member at the lower level (106),
standing angularly with respect to each other in the open position (I) thereby forming sequential V shapes and creating a volume (H) wherein the foodstuffs are placed therebetween,
folded over one another towards the vegetable container (3) side wall in the closed position (II),
translated by pivoting around the binding members (6, 106) (Figures 1 and 2).

The carriers (5) connected to the binding members (6, 106) are enabled to move like an accordion. At the same time, the foodstuffs, placed in the volume (H) between the carriers (5), that stand angularly with respect to each other in the open position (I), can be stored for a long period of time, without contacting each other and the base of the vegetable container (3). A binding member (6, 106) is provided on both sides of each carrier (5) so that it can be connected to the other carrier (5). The carriers (5) are folded over one another when not in use (Figure 2).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the carrier (5) is configured as a perforated plate. Accordingly, the foodstuffs placed on the carriers (5) can breathe and can be stored for a long period of time.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the carrier (5) is configured of wires. In this embodiment, the wire formed carriers (5) are arranged side by side and parallel to each other, with one of their ends movably pivoted to a binding member (6) and their other ends to the other binding member (106). When the carrier (5) is in the open position (I) for loading foodstuffs thereon, the carriers (5) and the binding members (6, 106) are fastened to each other such that virtually a "V" shape is formed, an angle smaller than 180° is present between the carriers (5) that form the legs of the V. The foodstuffs are placed between the carriers (5) thus fastened to each other (Figure 6). Accordingly, the wire formed carriers (5), with foodstuffs on the shelf (4), do not prevent air circulation inside the vegetable container (3) and provide the foodstuffs to be stored for a longer period of time without spoiling.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container (3) furthermore comprises more than one stopper (7), disposed on its two opposite side walls facing each other, that limit the movement of the upper level binding members (6) when in the open position (I) (Figure 5). The stoppers (7) are arranged side by side along the side walls of the vegetable container (3) and the ends of the upper level binding members (6) are placed into the stoppers (7) at intervals when the carrier (5) is in the open position (I) (Figure 2, Figure 7 and Figure 8).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container (3) comprises more than one stopper (7) disposed on its base. The stoppers (7) are arranged side by side along the base of the vegetable container (3) and the ends of the lower level binding members (106) are placed into the stoppers (7) at intervals when the carrier (5) is in the open position (I) (Figure 2)
By means of the stopper (7), the carriers (5) are prevented from sliding and deforming their positions in the "V" shape with the weight effect of the foodstuffs placed thereon.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container (3) comprises at least one frame (8) that surrounds the loading orifice and whereon the shelf (4) is mounted (Figures 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10). Stoppers (7) are provided on the two opposite sides of the frame (8) facing each other (Figures 4 and 5. The frame (8) is suspended from the loading orifice of the vegetable container. When the upper level binding members (6) are suspended on the frame (8), the lower level binding members (106) are positioned at a level higher than the base inside the vegetable container (3).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container (3) comprises two shelves (4), disposed one above the other, one mounted to the frame (8) and the other disposed on the base of the vegetable container (3). The shelves (4) can store medium sized foods in different carrying volumes (H) without contacting each other, when both of their carriers (5) are in the open position (I). The large sized foodstuffs can be placed into the vegetable container (3) by, for example bringing the carriers (5) of the lower shelf (4) to the closed position (II) and the carriers (5) of the upper shelf (4) can be used in the open position (I) (Figures 8 and 10).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container (3) comprises two rails (9) wherein the frame (8) is supported to move slidingly and at least one opening (10) on its side wall, that allows the frame (8) and the shelf (4) mounted thereon to pass therethrough to be partially taken out of the vegetable container (3) when the frame (8) is slid on the rail (9). The shelf (4) also passes through the opening (10) together with the frame (8) going outside of the vegetable container (3) when the frame (8) is drawn out of the vegetable container (3) by sliding in the rail (9). Consequently, while larger sized foodstuffs are stored in the vegetable container (3), at the same time the smaller sized foods can be stored on the shelf (4) outside the vegetable container (3). It is also possible to access the volume underneath the upper shelf (4) practically when the upper shelf (4) is loaded (Figures 9 and 10).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the vegetable container (3) comprises openings (10) on both of its side walls (4). Thus, the shelf (4) can be used by pulling to the desired side.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the shelf (4) comprises wire formed carriers (5) wherein the distance (x) therebetween on the same binding member (6) is decreased when smaller sized foodstuffs are supported in the carrying volume (H), and the distance (x) therebetween is increased when larger sized foodstuffs are supported in the carrying volume (H). Consequently, the carriers (5) are arranged with the widest gap therebetween so that the foods do not fall through and the foods can be stored for a long period of time, virtually in the air and with the least amount of contact surface (Figure 6).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the binding members (6, 106) are integrated to one of the two plate shaped adjacent carriers (5). For example, the protrusion shaped binding members (6, 106) formed on the sides of a carrier (5) are fastened to the recess formed on the side of the other carrier (5) thereby successively pivoting the carriers (5) to one another.
By means of the shelf (4) of the present invention, the foodstuffs can be stored for a long period of time on the carriers (5) with air circulation therebetween, in different carrying volumes (H) and without contacting each other. When the carriers (5) are in the closed position (II), large sized foodstuffs can be placed in the vegetable container (3). The frame (8) moving in the rail (9) and going out from the opening (10) allows the shelf (4) to be used in different positions. Consequently, foodstuffs of different sizes can be preserved in the vegetable container (3) by different positioning of the shelves (4) and the carriers (5) as desired.

Claims

A cooling device (1) that comprises a body (2) wherein the foodstuffs and the beverages are placed, a door that separates the body (2) from the exterior in a leak-proof manner and provides access into the body (2) when opened, at least one vegetable container (3) disposed inside the body (2) which is carried outside of the body (2) by being pulled forward and at least one shelf (4) placed inside the vegetable container (3) and characterized by a shelf (4) having more than one binding member (6, 106) arranged parallel to each other, in at least two different levels and
- more than one carrier (5), with one end mounted to the binding member (6) at the upper level, and the other end mounted to the binding member at the lower level (106),

- standing angularly with respect to each other in the open position (I) thereby forming sequential V shapes and creating a volume (H) therebetween wherein the foodstuffs are placed,

- folded over one another towards the vegetable container (3) side wall in the closed position (II),
translated by rotating around the binding members (6, 106).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by carriers (5) configured as perforated plates.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by a shelf (4) comprising a wire formed carrier (5).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by a vegetable container (3) comprising more than one stopper (7), disposed on its two opposite side walls facing each other which limit the movement of the ends of the upper level binding members (6).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by a vegetable container (3) comprising stoppers (7) disposed on its base which limit the movement of the lower level binding members (106).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by a vegetable container (3) comprising at least one frame (8) that surrounds the loading orifice and whereon the shelf (4) is mounted.
A cooling device (1) as in the above Claim 6, characterized by two shelves (4), one mounted to the frame (8) and the other disposed on the base of the vegetable container (3), thereby arranged one above the other.
A cooling device (1) as in the Claim 6 or 7, characterized by a vegetable container (3) comprising at least two rails (9) wherein the frame (8) is supported to move slidingly and at least one opening (10) on its side wall, that allows the frame (8) to pass therethrough to be partially taken out thereof.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 8, characterized by a vegetable container (3) comprising an opening (10) on both of its side walls (4).
A cooling device (1) as in Claims 3 to 9, characterized by wire formed carriers (5) that can be moved on the binding members (6, 106) such that the distance (x) therebetween can be increased or decreased.