EP2396613B1 - Refrigerator with height-adjustable shelf for refrigerated goods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, with a housing and a refrigerated goods storage rack which is vertically adjustable in the housing.
On the market widespread refrigeration devices are mounted on the side walls of the interior at different heights horizontal guide grooves in the refrigerated goods are insertable. With such a construction, the height of the trays delimited by the shelves can be varied only in discrete steps corresponding to the distance of the grooves from each other. The height adjustment is tedious and time-consuming, since a staggering stowage unloaded before pulling out and must be loaded again after Neuplatzieren.
In order to allow a comfortable Höhenverstellen a Kühlgutabstellers without prior unloading, which was in the German patent application DE 10 2007 029 176 A1 described refrigerator developed. In this refrigerator, a Kühlgutabsteller is supported on arranged at its corners snails to tooth profiles, which are fixedly mounted on an inner wall of the refrigerator. About a mounted on the front edge of Kühlgutabstellers handle the rotary body are driven in rotation to adjust the height of the Kühlgutabstellers.
The four rotating bodies of this Kühlgutabstellers must be coupled together to ensure that all four corners of the Kühlgutabstellers be moved in the same way, and to exclude tilting of Kühlgutabstellers. The installation space required for such a coupling is no longer available for the storage of refrigerated goods. In order to realize the height adjustment, a large number of different components is needed whose production and assembly increase the manufacturing costs of the refrigeration device.
JP 06 034 265 A describes a height-adjustable Kühlgutabsteller for a refrigerator, which can be adjusted by engagement of two gears in a tooth profile in height.

DE 10 2007 029 176 A1 discloses a Kühlgutabsteller for a refrigerator, at its four corners each have a tooth profile is provided, in each of which a worm engages so as to adjust the Kühlgutabsteller in height can. The screws are geared together via a chain drive, which is moved over a front arranged on Kühlgutabsteller handle.

JP 03 170 780 A discloses a Kühlgutabsteller for a refrigerator, which is adjustable in height by gears engage in arranged on the housing tooth profiles.

US 2008/0203041 A1 discloses a variable shelf comprising a lifting unit for raising a shelf supporting member relative to a fixing member. The lifting unit includes a worm mounted to the shelf support member, a worm wheel driven by the worm, a threaded rod coupled to the worm wheel and rotatably supported by the shelf support member. The screw is rotatably disposed under the shelf at the rear end of the shelf and is connected to a connecting rod. A rotary handle is mounted on the other end of the connecting rod, and thus attached to the front end of the shelf. Consequently, the worm rotates depending on the direction in which a user turns the rotary handle.

Object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration device with a continuously height-adjustable Kühlgutabsteller, in which the space required and the complexity of a drive mechanism for the height adjustment are reduced.

The object is achieved by supporting in a refrigerator with a housing and a height adjustable in the housing Kühlgutabsteller, wherein at least one rotatably driven screw of Kühlgutabstellers with at least one housing tooth profile, the Kühlgutabsteller is supported on a total of two screws on the housing such that its Abstellfläche is arranged at least approximately horizontally.

The screws can be placed on the refrigerated goods stand so that a vertical plane running through the axes of the screws contains the center of gravity of the refrigerated goods carrier. In order to keep a staggered against this plane arrangement of the center of gravity stable, the refrigerated goods is preferably held vertically adjustable in at least one housing-fixed guide rail.

The guide rail can be the guiding function of one or more of the worms of the in DE 10 2007 029 176 A1 assume the structure described so that the remaining screws can have the same positions as the screws shown there, at corners of the refrigerated goods carrier. Due to the reduced number of screws, the number of tooth profiles is 2 at maximum.

Preferably, these two tooth profiles are arranged adjacent to a same edge of Kühlgutabstellers. Although occurs at the Kühlgutabsteller, if this is supported vertically only by the two tooth profiles, due to its own weight and the weight of possibly deposited thereon refrigerated considerable torque, but this torque can be intercepted by means of the guide rail, so that the Kühlgutabsteller nonetheless is held stable.

The attachment of the two tooth profiles adjacent to a same edge of the Kühlgutabstellers makes it possible to accommodate a gear housing for a snail coupling together gear in a housing that extends to save space alone along this edge.

Both from a static point of view as well as with regard to the usability of the interior of the housing said edge is expediently the rear edge of the Kühlgutabstellers.

In order to be able to drive the screws, a swivel arm extends beneath a plate of the refrigerated goods store up to its front edge, where it is easily accessible to a user.
The pivoting arm is preferably coupled to the screws via a ratchet mechanism, so that by several reciprocating movements of the pivoting arm of Kühlgutabsteller can be adjusted over a long distance in a single, selectable direction.
This ratchet mechanism can be directionally adjustable; then the entire freedom of movement of the pivot arm can be exploited to drive a height adjustment in a single direction.
Alternatively, the pivot arm can be deflected out of a rest position in opposite directions, wherein the movement of the pivot arm on a first side of the rest position an upward movement of the refrigerated goods and the movement of the pivot arm on an opposite, second side of the rest position drives a downward movement of the refrigerated goods.
The two tooth profiles are preferably space-saving in edges of the interior, inserted between the rear wall and side walls of the housing.
Instead of projecting into the interior projections such a tooth profile expediently each have a turn of the worm receiving recesses in the Kühlgutabsteller facing flat outer surface.
In order to stabilize the refrigerated goods and in particular to absorb a torque acting on it, and at the same time to minimize the height adjustment to be overcome friction, the guide rail has at least one tooth profile opposite surface on which rests at least one roll of Kühlgutträgers. The roller allows the transmission of a considerable force in the horizontal direction, to compensate for the torque, without the height adjustment of the refrigerated goods is blocked by excessive friction between refrigerated goods and guide rail.

It is particularly preferred if the guide rail has two mutually opposite surfaces against which at least one roller of the refrigerated goods carrier rests in each case. This allows a largely backlash-free, low-friction guidance of the refrigerated goods carrier.

In addition, when the rollers resting against different surfaces of the guide rail are offset in height relative to one another, the rollers furthermore make it possible to relieve the screws and guide rails of horizontal forces and thus to reduce the friction occurring during the height adjustment.

Preferably, the guide rail is a rib or groove extending on a side wall of the housing. The opposing surfaces of the guide rail are then expediently side surfaces of the rib or the groove.

A carrier profile having the guide rail and the tooth profile may conveniently be mounted on an edge between the rear wall and a side wall of the housing. Thus, horizontal forces acting between the refrigerated goods on the one hand and the guide rail or the tooth profile on the other hand, be absorbed and compensated in the carrier profile, so that no increased demands on the carrying capacity of the walls of the housing.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische, teilweise aufgeschnittene Ansicht eines Kältegerätekorpus mit einem höhenverstellbaren Kühlgutabsteller gemäß der Erfindung;

Fig. 2

eine partielle Seitenansicht des Kühlgutabstellers gemäß einer ersten Weiterbildung der Erfindung;

Fig. 3

einen horizontalen Teilschnitt durch das Getriebegehäuse und ein Trägerprofil gemäß einer zweiten Weiterbildung;

Fig. 4

einen zu Fig. 3 analogen Schnitt gemäß einer dritten Weiterbildung;

Fig. 5

einen horizontalen Schnitt durch ein Kältegerät gemäß einer zweiten Ausgestaltung der Erfindung;

Fig. 6

einen Schnitt entlang der in Fig. 5 mit VI-VI bezeichneten Ebene;

Fig. 7

eine zu Fig. 1 analoge Ansicht gemäß einer dritten Ausgestaltung; und

Fig. 8

ein vergrößertes Detail der dritten Ausgestaltung im Schnitt.

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

a perspective, partially cutaway view of a refrigerator body with a height-adjustable Kühlgutabsteller according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a partial side view of Kühlgutabstellers according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3

a horizontal partial section through the gear housing and a carrier profile according to a second embodiment;

Fig. 4

one too Fig. 3 analog section according to a third development;

Fig. 5

a horizontal section through a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6

a cut along in Fig. 5 level designated VI-VI;

Fig. 7

one too Fig. 1 analogous view according to a third embodiment; and

Fig. 8

an enlarged detail of the third embodiment in section.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a cut-open body 1 of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the invention. To see are a bottom 2 and each of the lower half of side walls 3, 4 and a rear wall 5 of the body 1. The ceiling of the body 1 is not shown, as well as a door which is hinged in a conventional manner to the body 1 to its open front to close.

In the interior 6 of the body 1, a single height-adjustable Kühlgutabsteller 7 is shown, but it is understood that a plurality of Kühlgutabsteller 7 can be provided one above the other. The Kühlgutabsteller 7 is supported by two carrier profiles 8, of which in Fig. 1 only one is visible and the mirror image opposite one another in each case at an edge of the inner space 6 between the rear wall 5 and the side walls 3 and 4 are arranged. The carrier profile 8 comprises a tooth profile 9, which fills the edge of the housing, with an elongated plane surface 10 which forms an angle of approximately 135 ° to the two adjacent walls 1 of the body, and a plurality of recessed into the plane surface 10th Recesses 11. A vertical rib 12 is formed on a leg of the carrier profile 8 extending along the side wall 3.

In the recesses 11 of the two carrier profiles 8 engaging, each coupled in a vertical axis rotatable screws are - in Fig. 1 not visible - housed in a housing 13 which extends along a trailing edge of the Kühlgutabstellers 7 between the opposite carrier profiles 8. Two narrow arms 14 which extend from the housing 13 closely adjacent and parallel to a side wall 3 and 4 respectively forward, support a glass plate 15 of the Kühlgutabstellers. 7

A pivot arm 16, which drives the screws via a ratchet mechanism housed in the housing 13, extends forward under the glass plate 15. The ratchet mechanism is directionally adjustable in a manner known per se, so that optionally, for example, a rotation of the pivot arm 16 drives an upward movement of the refrigerated goods carrier 7 and rotation of the pivot arm 16 keeps the refrigerated goods carrier 7 stationary, or the rotation in the counterclockwise direction keeps the refrigerated goods carrier 7 stationary, while the counterclockwise rotation drives a downward movement of the refrigerated goods carrier. The length of the pivot arm 16 is dimensioned so that its front tip in each position he can take over the front edge of the glass plate 15 protrudes, but without - at least in a widely deflected to the side position as in Fig. 1 presented - to impede the closing of the door. The pivoting arm 16 can be guided in a horizontal rail for stabilization in the vicinity of the front edge of the glass plate 15, for example in a slot of a (in the Fig. 1 not shown), the front tips of the arms 14 interconnecting web.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the Kühlgutabstellers 7 according to a first embodiment of the embodiment of Fig. 1 , A vertical hatched bar in Fig. 2 In a window 17 of one of the flat surface 10 facing inclined wall 18 of the housing 13 is one of the aforementioned two screws, here designated 19, to see whose turns 20 in the recesses 11 engage the tooth profile. Although the two carrier profiles 8 are able to absorb the weight of the refrigerated goods store 7 due to the engagement of the screws 19, the refrigerated goods stopper 7 is supported far away from its center of gravity, so that the resulting torque has to be absorbed. In the simplest case, this could serve a projection of the housing 13, which rests on one of the flat surface 10 facing side 21 of the rib 12 above the screw 19.

By the projection and the worm 19 each transmitted oppositely oriented horizontal forces on the rib 12 and the tooth profile 9, the torque can be compensated, but with the price of considerable friction between the mutually moving surfaces of the projection and the rib 12 and Worm 19 and tooth profile 9.

On the side of the rib 12, this friction can be largely avoided by, as in Fig. 2 shown, instead of a rigid projection, a roller 22 against the side 21 presses.

In order to relieve the screw 19 and the tooth profile 9 of excessive friction, according to an expedient development, a second roller 23 is disposed below the first roller 22 on the housing 13, which presses on the side 21 opposite side 24 of the rib 12.

An in Fig. 3 illustrated by a horizontal section through the housing 13 training works mechanically as well as that of Fig. 2 , As with this are offset rollers 22, 23 on opposite sides 21, 24 of the rib 12 at. The difference to Fig. 2 is that the rollers 22, 23, instead of being mounted on the outside of the housing 13 cantilevered, housed inside the housing 13 with two-sided fixed axes, and that the rib 12 engages by a vertical slot housing between the rollers 23, 24.

Two intermeshing bevel gears 31 connect the worm 19 with the ratchet mechanism arranged centrally in the housing 13.

As in Fig. 3 to recognize, the support section 8 is constructed in two parts, with a simple and inexpensive extruded base profile 25 of constant cross-section and made separately from the base profile 25 and inserted into grooves 26 of this tooth profile. 9

Fig. 4 shows an alternative development of the embodiment of Fig. 1 , in which mutually offset from each other rollers 22, 23 of Kühlgutabstellers 7 abut on opposite sides 21, 24 of a groove 27 of the support section 8.

A second embodiment, which uses a single, centrally attached to the rear wall 5 of the body 1 carrier profile 8, is in Fig. 5 illustrated by a horizontal section through a refrigerator body. Since in this embodiment, only a single screw 19 is present, no space for a coupling mechanism is required. The housing 13 only has to provide space for the worm 19 and the ratchet mechanism driven by the pivot arm 16, and therefore does not extend from one side wall 3 to the other 4.

A vertical guide rail is here formed by two ribs 28 widening the tooth profile 9 and, between these and the rear wall 5, limited grooves 29 each open to the side. In these grooves 29 engage from side walls of the housing 13 supported rollers 30 a. Inside the housing 13 hidden rollers 31 are - as in the vertical section of Fig. 6 shown offset in height to the rollers 30 - on a front side of the ribs 28 at. Thus, the pairs of rollers 30, 31 compensate for the torque of Kühlgutabstellers 7, and the screw 19 is rotatable friction.

An in Fig. 7 The third embodiment shown differs from that of the Flg. 1 essentially only by the ratchet mechanism and the pivot lever driving it. While in Fig. 1 the pivot lever between two stops is continuously movable and either runs empty on this entire movement depending on the direction or drives an adjustment of the refrigerated goods in a constant direction, the pivot lever 16 according to the third embodiment has a rest position in which it is perpendicular to the front of the housing 13th protrudes, and from which it is deflected against a return spring to the left or right, for example, to the in Fig. 7 shown stop position. Each rotation of the pivot lever from the rest position drives a height adjustment of the Kühlggutträgers 7, depending on the direction of rotation up or down, whereas a return movement of the pivot lever 16 back to the rest position, the height of the pivot lever from the rest position drives out a height adjustment of the Kühlggutträgers leaves unchanged ,

In order to close the door of the refrigerator in the rest position, but on the other hand also in the stop position, the top of the pivot lever 16 still good grip, this is adjustable in length, and indeed, as is apparent from the in Fig. 8 shown Longitudinal section of the lever results, by a telescopic structure of the lever with a rigidly connected to the ratchet mechanism rod-shaped base portion 32 and a pushed thereon handle 33. The handle shaft 33 crosses a horizontally elongated slot 35 in a front ends of the support arms 14 connecting bracket 34 and has Contours, here in the form of two grooves 36, in which the edges of the slot 35 engage to control the displacement of the handle shaft 33 along the base portion 32 in accordance with the rotation of the lever 16.

Claims (14)

1. Refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, having a housing (1) and a shelf for refrigerated goods (7), the height of which can be adjusted in the housing (1), wherein at least one rotatably drivable screw (19) of the shelf for refrigerated goods (7) engages with at least one toothed profile (9) that is fixed to the housing, wherein the shelf for refrigerated goods (7) is supported by way of a total of two screws (19) on the housing (1) in such a manner that its storage surface is held at least approximately horizontal, characterised in that a pivot arm (16) for driving the screws (19) extends below a plate (15) of the shelf for refrigerated goods (7) up to its front edge, and that the guide (12; 27; 28, 29) has a surface (21) opposite the toothed profile (9), on which at least one roller (22) of the support for refrigerated goods (7) rests.
2. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one guide (12; 27; 28, 29) fixed to the housing is used to support the shelf for refrigerated goods (7), allowing it to be held in a vertically adjustable manner with an at least approximately horizontal storage surface.
3. Refrigeration appliance according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the maximum number of toothed profiles (9) is 2.
4. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that the two toothed profiles (9) are disposed adjacent to an identical edge of the shelf for refrigerated goods (7).
5. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 4, characterised in that a transmission housing (13) extends along the edge of the shelf for refrigerated goods (7) between screws (19) engaging with the toothed profiles (9).
6. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the edge is the rear edge of the shelf for refrigerated goods (7).
7. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pivot arm (16) is coupled to the screws (19) by way of a directionally adjustable ratchet mechanism.
8. Refrigeration appliance according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the two toothed profiles (9) are introduced into edges between the rear wall (5) and side walls (3, 4) of the housing (1).
9. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 8, characterised in that the toothed profiles (9) have a flat outer surface (10) facing the shelf for refrigerated goods (7), in which cutouts (11) each receiving a turn (20) of the screw (19) are formed.
10. Refrigeration appliance according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterised in that the guide (12; 27; 28) has two mutually opposing surfaces (21, 24), on which at least one roller (22, 23; 30, 31) of the support for refrigerated goods (7) rests in each instance.
11. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 10, characterised in that the rollers (22, 23; 30, 31) resting on different surfaces (21, 24) of the guide rail (12; 27; 28) have a height offset in respect of one another.
12. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the guide rail is a rib (12) or groove (27), which extends along a side wall (3, 4) of the housing (1).
13. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 12, characterised in that the mutually opposing surfaces (21; 24) of the guide rail are side faces of the rib (12) or groove (27).
14. Refrigeration appliance according to one of claims 2 to 13, characterised in that a support profile (8), which has the guide rail (12, 27) and the toothed profile (9) is fitted on an edge between the rear wall (5) and a side wall (3, 4) of the housing.

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