EP2499445A2

EP2499445A2 - Refrigerator having a door rack and a floatingly supported catch device

Info

Publication number: EP2499445A2
Application number: EP10778615A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefan Deissler; Jürgen FINK
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2009-11-11
Filing date: 2010-11-05
Publication date: 2012-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2030-11-05
Also published as: WO2011057961A2; DE102009046612A1; PL2499445T3; WO2011057961A3; TR201900600T4; EP2499445B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerator, in particular a household refrigerator, comprising a door (1) having a door interior (1a) comprising a catching means (6) acting together with corresponding mating catch means (18) of at least one catch device (16, 17) for holding a door rack (4) on the door interior (1a), disposed as a separate component on the door rack (4), wherein the catch device (16, 17) is floatingly supported on the door rack (4).

Description

Refrigerating appliance with a door rack and a floating latching device

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, having a door with a door inside, which has latching means which cooperate for holding a door compartment on the inside of the door with corresponding counter-latching means at least one latching device which is arranged as a separate component on the door rack.

DE 10 2006 061 152 A1 describes a refrigeration appliance with a refrigeration appliance door, on which at least one height adjustable arranged door racks is provided, which is detachably fastened by means of a latching device between arranged on the inside of the door supporting elements. At least one support element has, at least in sections, a vertically extending guide element into which the door racks engages in a form-fitting manner.

The object of the invention is to provide a locking device for a door racks of a refrigerator, which is held reliably in use in the refrigerator at the door racks.

A refrigeration device is understood in particular to be a household refrigeration appliance, that is to say a refrigeration appliance that is used for housekeeping in households or in the gastronomy sector, and in particular for storing foods and / or drinks at specific temperatures, such as, for example, a refrigerator, a freezer, a refrigerated freezer combination or a refrigerator wine fridge.

The object is achieved by a refrigeration device, in particular household refrigeration appliance, comprising a door having a door inside, the locking means which cooperate for holding a door compartment on the inside of the door with corresponding Gegenrast- at least one locking device arranged as a separate component to the door compartment and floating on the door rack is stored. Conventionally, locking means, which may be, for example, multi-level formed locking strips, either formed by molding the door inside the door or they are made as a separate locking strips, which are attached to the inside of the door. An attachment can be done by screwing or gluing. As is known, door racks are often mounted vertically adjustable between two bars on the door inner side of the door. In this case engage counter-locking means which are connected to the door racks in the locking means of the inside of the door. In order to reliably hold the door racks in their respective position on the door, it must be ensured that the counter-locking means are always in sufficient engagement with the corresponding locking means. If a counter-locking means does not sufficiently engage in the associated latching means, then, for example, with heavy loading of the door compartment a certain deformation of the counter-latching means and / or latching means occur, solve the positive connection and crash the door racks. It should therefore be sought as accurate positioning of locking means to counter-locking means. However, the locking means on the inside of the door production can not be made very tight tolerances. Thus, on the one hand, when manufacturing the inside of the door, due to the production process, there is always a very large tolerance to be accepted and, on the other hand, when assembling a separate locking strip, the assembly tolerance is strongly scattered.

Therefore, according to the invention a positionally accurate positioning of locking means and counter-locking means is achieved in that the locking device is floatingly mounted on the door rack. Due to the floating mounting of the latching device, the counter-locking means connected to the latching device can always be adjusted with exact position with the corresponding latching means on the inside of the door automatically. Thus, an always sufficiently intervening engagement of locking means and counter-locking means is ensured. By the floating mounting of the locking device an adjustability of the counter-locking means is achieved, which compensate position and / or position tolerances of the locking means or whereby its position and / or position, in particular automatically adapt.

In one embodiment, the latching device may be floatingly mounted on the door rack with respect to a plane parallel to the rear wall of the door compartment. If For example, the counter-locking means of the latching device are arranged laterally, in particular on two opposite sides of the door compartment and protrude laterally outwardly therefrom, the counter-latching means could engage in opposite latching means, for example, on the inner edges of two spars of the door inner side, while it is particularly necessary the counter-locking means in one to align the plane parallel to the rear wall of the door compartment. For this purpose, it is expedient for the latching device to be mounted floating on the door racks, at least with respect to a plane parallel to the rear wall of the door racks. Thus, the locking device or connected to the locking device counter-locking means can align in this plane.

In a more concrete embodiment, the latching device may be floatingly mounted with respect to a horizontal direction on the door rack. A position and / or position deviation in the vertical direction can be easily compensated by a certain tolerable inclination of the entire door compartment. However, a position and / or positional deviation in the horizontal direction, in particular the width spacing of opposite latching means, can not be easily compensated by the door rack itself. Therefore, it is expedient to store the locking device with respect to a horizontal direction floating, so that in the horizontal direction to adjust the counter-locking means and thus can adapt to the locking means. The counter-locking means can thus be changed or set in their width distance.

In all embodiments according to the invention, the locking device may have a projection for its floating bearing on the door racks, which engages in the mounting position of the locking device in a recess of the door compartment with clearance. The recess may be formed wider or higher by a game determining amount, as the width or the height of the projection corresponds. An enlarged by the game width of the recess allows a floating mounting of the locking device in a horizontal direction. In this case, a height of the recess which is increased by the clearance permits a floating mounting of the latching device in a vertical direction.

In such an embodiment, the projection of a bar, in particular vertically extending bar are formed, which engages with a slot-shaped slot, in particular vertically extending slot of the door compartment with play. Through the training the projection as a bar a longitudinally extending projection is created, which limits at least a rotation of the locking device due to its longitudinally extending training or even prevented. In all embodiments of the invention, the locking device may comprise a guide which engages in the mounting position of the door compartment with a projecting from the inside of the door counterpart guide. The guide ensures a torsion-free height adjustment of the door compartment and the locking device. Even if the latching means have been mounted or formed slightly obliquely on the inside of the door compartment door, the counter-latching means can adjust due to the guide and the counter guidance according to this slightly oblique course, as the counter-latching means preferably connected in a unique manner with the locking means and the locking bar specify the orientation, the guides follow this counter-locking means and because of the fixed connection of the guides with the counter-locking means, the counter-latching means can be adapted according to the orientation of the counter-locking means due to the floating storage.

In this case, the guidance can be formed by two flanks which are aligned at a distance from one another and parallel to one another and which comprise the counter-guidance of two opposing sides. Thus, a tightly toleranced positive connection between leadership and counter-leadership is created so that the existing game of floating storage of the locking device can be fully used for adjusting the position of the counter-locking means. The two flanks can be formed by side walls of a groove of the latching device. The groove may preferably extend vertically. In the case of a height-adjustable door racks, the counterguide always remains in engagement with the guide. The locking device is thus guided like a backdrop along the height adjustment of the door compartment.

Alternatively, the two flanks of side walls of two projecting ribs of the locking device can be formed. Here too, with a height-adjustable door racks, the counterguide always remains in engagement with the guide. The locking device is thus guided like a backdrop along the height adjustment of the door compartment. In all embodiments according to the invention, the counter-guidance can be formed by at least one rib projecting on the inside of the door. The rib can intervene, for example, between the two flanks of side walls of two projecting ribs of the locking device.

The counter guide can be provided together with the locking means on a separate guide member which is fixed to the inside of the door or a locking bar, which in particular has the locking means. As a result, the counterguide is clearly defined with respect to the latching means or the latching strip, while maintaining very small tolerances. The countertracking follows so far unambiguously the course of the locking means preferably over the entire vertical length of the height adjustment. Even if the locking means or the locking strips are fastened with high positional tolerances on the inside of the door, so is always a unique. low position tolerated position of the counter guide with respect to the locking means guaranteed. About the positive backdrop-like guidance of the locking device along the countertransference is thus also the unique. low position-tolerated position of the counter-locking means of the door compartment secured to the locking means of the inside of the door.

In a further embodiment, the latching device can be inserted into an opening towards the outside, in particular a corner between a side wall and a rear wall of the door compartment encompassing receiving tables of the door compartment. Due to the open to the outside recording tables, the door rack can be executed with closed walls. In other words, the door rack has no openings or gaps. For example, liquid such as water can be poured into the door locker without allowing it to run out. As a further advantage, the closed walls of the door compartment are easier to clean. Before cleaning, the inserted locking devices can be easily removed from the door rack. So also the recording tables can be cleaned well. The receiving tables can be formed by a closed-wall molding of a wall, in particular the side wall and / or the rear wall of the door compartment.

In all embodiments according to the invention, the latching device may have a spring section arranged between counter-plugging means and counter-latching means. The spring section ensures that after releasing the release button, the opposite latching means or the least one latching nose returns to its original position, in which it engages in the mounting position of the door compartment on the door in the associated recess of the locking means to hold the door racks on the door. But the spring portion may also be integrally formed, in particular einstoffig with the mating plug means, the counter-latching means and the unlocking button. In this case, in particular, the entire latching device may be made of plastic. In this case also the spring portion or the spring tongue is made of a plastic material.

In all embodiments according to the invention, the latching device may comprise a first latching device section having an unlocking button and a second latching device section having a mating plugging means which is arranged at an angle, in particular at a right angle to the first latching device section. Due to the suitable orientation of the two latching device sections relative to each other, an orientation of the assembly plugging direction and the actuating direction of the unlocking button is possible.

The unlocking button can be arranged in the mounting position of the locking device on a side wall of the door compartment and the plug means on a rear wall of the door compartment. By the plug-in means over a corner of the door compartment away away from the unlocking button is arranged, always a different orientation of mounting plug direction and actuation direction is ensured. In addition, due to the arrangement of the plug means on a rear wall of the door compartment, the plug-in means for a user is optically hidden. In other words, the invention provides a height adjustment for a door racks on the inside of a refrigerator door. The height adjustment may have a floating mounted on the door racks locking device which engages in a corresponding locking means on the inside of the door of the door compartment. The locking device can form an additional element insofar as it is mounted on the door racks. The locking device can be plugged into a pocket on a rear wall of the door compartment. To the pocket to an opening is provided, via which the additional element or the latching device or the plug part thus formed can be introduced. About this opening a floating bearing can be realized. At the locking means corresponding to the locking means, a counter-guide can be provided be. The counter-guide is attached to the inside of the door of the door compartment. Due to the counter-guide, the locking device is always positioned the same with respect to the locking means on the inside of the door. The locking means may be formed as a locking bar, which may be attached to the inside of the door and always ensures a correct positioning of locking device and locking strip due to their immanent low Fertigungsto- leranz despite different mounting positions on the inside of the door. This ensures an always equivalent locking of the door compartment regardless of its altitude on the inside of the door.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the figures 1 to 6. From the detailed description of this specific embodiment, there are also other general features and advantages of the present invention.

Show it:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a door of a refrigerator, in particular

Household refrigerating appliance with a height-adjustable door rack;

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of the door compartment according to FIG. 1 in a

View obliquely from above on a locking device according to the invention with locking strip;

3 is a partial perspective view of the door compartment of Figure 1 in an enlarged view from below of the latch mounted on the door latch.

4 shows a perspective view of the latching device according to FIG. 3 in its position relative to the latching strip according to FIG. 2; 5 shows a perspective partial view of a niche of the door compartment according to FIG.

1 ;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking device of FIG. 3 in isolation. Fig. 1 shows a view of a door 1 and a door inner side 1 a with side door beams 2 and 3. At the door beams 2 and 3, a door rack 4 is mounted in particular height adjustable. At the door spar 2 shown on the left in Fig. 1, a locking strip 5 can be seen, which has locking means 6 on the example of recesses. At the door spar 3 shown on the right in Fig. 1, a locking bar 5 to the same locking bar 5 may be provided with locking means 6. The locking strips 5 may have guide strips 7 and 8, which engage, for example, in groove-shaped recesses 9 (FIG. 2) on the door rack 4. The guide rails 7 and 8 guide the door rack 4 in its displacement in the horizontal direction along the door beams 2 and 3.

In Fig. 2 the door rack 4 is shown in more detail. The door rack 4 has a closed interior with side walls 12 and 13, and a rear wall 14 and a front wall 15. By a largely smooth wall or gaplessness of the side walls 12 and 13, as well as the rear wall 14 and the front wall 15, the door divider 4 can be easily cleaned. In addition, reduces the risk that stored in the door rack 4 refrigerated goods jammed on the walls.

On the side walls 12 and 13 of the door compartment 4 locking devices 16 and 17 according to the invention are provided. On the locking devices 16 and 17 counter-locking means 18 are arranged. The counter-locking means 18 may be located in a central region of the latching device 16. The counter-locking means 18 may be formed as latching projections which are adapted to engage in the latching means 6 of the locking strips 5. In this case, the counter-locking means 18 and the latching projections are covered by the locking strips 5, as soon as the door rack 4 is attached to the door 1. The counter-locking means 18 are thus inserted in the door rack 4 in a protected position in which they are protected, for example, from contamination, damage and other adverse effects, for example by stored in the door rack 4 refrigerated goods.

The locking devices 16 and 17 according to the invention are, as shown in Fig. 3, connected to the door rack 4, which cooperate to hold the door compartment 4 on the inside of the door 1 a with the corresponding counter-locking means 18 of at least one locking device 16, 17, as separate components are attached to the door rack 4 and to release the counter-latching means 18 of the latching means 6, a release button 1 1 have. The locking devices 16 and 17 are floating ie with Game stored at the door rack. For this purpose, the latching device 16, 17 have a web portion 33. The web portion 33 is guided non-tilting from opposite boundaries 34, 35 of the door compartment. Due to the web portion 33 and the boundaries 34, 35, the latching device 16, 17 is guided displaceably. A shift is possible by the amount of the gap forming the clearance between projection 22 and recess 23 or bar 24 and slot-shaped slot 26. Depending on requirements, the game by predetermined selection of the width of projection 22 and bar 24 and the width of recess 23 or slit-shaped slot 26 can be predetermined. The unlocking key 1 1 serves to open and close the latching connection of counter latching means 18 and latching means 6 or recesses. The door rack 4, as shown in FIG. 1 on both sides of a locking device 16, 17, each of which has a release button 1 1. The unlocking key 1 1 is connected to the respective counteracting means 18. By pressing the release button 1 1, the counter-locking means 18 is released from the locking element 6 and the door rack 4 can be moved vertically or removed from the door 4. As soon as the door racks 4 are in the desired position, the unlocking button 1 1 is released, so that the counter-locking means 18 engage in the locking elements 6 of the respective altitude and the door racks 4 is again reliably fixed to the door 1.

As shown in detail in Fig. 3, the locking devices 16 and 17 each have a spring portion 19. From the spring portion 19 extends, preferably bent at right angles a mounting tongue 21. The mounting tongue 21 carries a projection 22. The projection 22 engages in the mounting position of the locking device 16, 17 in a recess 23 of the door compartment 4 with game that is floating. For a floating mounting ie a bearing with play the projection 22 is formed as a bar 24 in the embodiment. The recess 23 is formed as a slot-shaped slot 26. To form a game, the slot 26 has a greater width than the strip 24. In FIG. 4, the latching device 16, 17 is shown in its position relative to the locking strip 5. The locking device 16, 17 has a guide 30 which engages in the mounting position of the door compartment 4 with a projecting from the inside of the door 1 a counter guide 31. The guide 30 is formed in the embodiment shown by two spaced apart and parallel flanks 30a, 30b which includes the counter guide 31 from two opposite sides. The two flanks 30a, 30b can, as shown, be formed by side walls of two projecting ribs of the latching device 16, 17; Alternatively, the side walls of a groove of the latching device 16, 17. The counter-guide 31 is formed in the exemplary embodiment shown by a projecting rib 31 a. The projecting rib 31 a may, as shown, be provided on the locking bar 5, or alternatively directly on the inside of the door 1 a. The counter guide 31 is configured in the embodiment together with the locking means 6 that is, the locking bar 5 and thus forms a separate guide member which can be attached to the inside of the door 1 a, for example by means of the holes 32 shown by screws.

5 shows the door rack 4 in a partial view. In this case, the detail of the door compartment 4 is shown in which on the side wall 12, the latching device 16, 17 is removed. On the side wall 12, a receiving recess 28 is formed. The remote latching device 16, 17 is inserted into this receiving outwardly open, in particular a corner between a side wall 12 and the rear wall 14 of the door compartment 4 embracing receiving tables 28 of the door compartment 4. The receiving recess 28 is formed by a closed-wall molding of the side wall 12 and the rear wall 14 of the door compartment 4. In other words, the door racks on a pocket 36, in which the locking device 16, 17 can be inserted. The recess 23 or the slot-shaped slot 26 allows the floating mounting of the locking device 16, 17th

In Fig. 6 the locking device 16 is shown in isolation. The release button 1 1 is provided on the latching device 16. The counter latch 18 is connected to the unlocking button 1 1. The counter-locking means 18 is formed in the illustrated embodiment in the form of a wedge-shaped latching lug. The locking lug is aligned in its longitudinal extent according to the orientation of a plurality of distributed locking means 6 of the locking bar 5. At the counter-locking means 18, the spring portion 19 connects. Between the counter-latching means 18 and the unlocking button 1 1, the latching device 16, 17 may have a groove-shaped notch 25 which adjoins the guide strip 7, 8 on the latching strip 5 and is adapted to its shape and depth.

Claims

1. Refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising a door (1) having a door inner side (1 a), the latching means (6) which for holding a door compartment (4) on the inside of the door (1 a) with corresponding counter-latching means (18) at least a latching device (16, 17) cooperate, which is arranged as a separate component on the door rack (4), characterized in that the latching device (16, 17) floating on the door rack (4) is mounted.

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the latching device (16, 17) floating with respect to a rear wall (14) of the door compartment (4) parallel plane to the door rack (4) is mounted.

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the latching device (16, 17) floating with respect to a horizontal direction on the door rack (4) is mounted.

4. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the latching device (16, 17) for its floating bearing on the door rack (4) has a projection (22) in the mounting position of the latching device (16, 17) in a recess (23) of the door compartment (4) engages with play.

5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the projection (22) by a bar (24), in particular vertically extending bar (24) is formed, in a slot-shaped slot (26), in particular vertically extending slot (26) of the Door Cabinet (4) engages with play.

6. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the latching device (16, 17) has a guide (30) in the mounting position of the door compartment (4) with a from the inside of the door (1 a) or of the counter-guide (6) projecting counter-guide (31) engages.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the guide (30) of two in a distance from each other and mutually parallel flanks (30a, 30b) is formed, which comprise the counter guide (31) from two opposite sides.

8. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that the two flanks (30a, 30b) of side walls of a groove of the latching device (16, 17) are formed.

9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that the two flanks (30a, 30b) of side walls of two projecting ribs of the latching device (16, 17) are formed.

10. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the counter-guide (31) of at least one on the inside of the door (1 a) or a locking strip (5) projecting rib is formed.

1 1. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the counter guide (31) is provided together with the latching means (6) on a separate guide member which is fixed to the inside of the door (1 a) or the locking strip (5).

12. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 1 1, characterized in that the latching device (16, 17) in an outwardly open, in particular a corner between a side wall (12, 13) and a rear wall (14) of the door compartment ( 4) encompassing receiving tables (28) of the door compartment (4) is inserted.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 12, characterized in that the receiving tables (28) by a closed-wall molding a wall, in particular the side wall (12, 13) and / or the rear wall (14) of the door compartment (4) is formed.