EP2522798A2 - Household cooler with a self-closing hinge assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The device i.e. household cooling device (1), has a heat-insulating inner container (2) arranged in a body (7) and forming a storage area (3) for cooling goods. A door leaf (4a) is pivotably attached to the body around a vertical axis (A) and supported by a self-locking hinge arrangement (8) to open and close the area. The arrangement has a cam mechanism with an engaging member and a cam unit, where the member has a thrust ring surface. The cam unit has a fixed stop surface limiting a maximum opening angle of the leaf, where the ring surface is attached to the stop surface during the angle.

Description

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising a body, a arranged in the body, a storage space for refrigerated goods thermally insulated inner container and at least one hinged about a vertical axis hinged to the body door leaf, which is mounted for opening and closing of the storage space by means of a self-closing hinge assembly with a cam gear having an engaging member and a cam member cooperating with the engaging member, which includes a radial sliding track on which the engaging member runs.

The US 3,452,387 A describes a device for closing a door leaf of a refrigeration device. The refrigerator wiest to his body on a hinge plate on which a hinge pin is attached. The door leaf is pivotally mounted on the refrigeration device around the hinge pin. Via a tongue and groove coupling a cam is attached to the hinge pin. The cam forms a cam member with a radial slide. On the Radialgleitbahn a rotatably mounted on a holder roller rolls. The holder and thus the roller is supported by a spring coil against the radial slide of the cam. The holder is guided in the manner of a carriage on two projecting runners of a housing half of the device displaceable.

The object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration appliance, in particular household refrigeration appliance with an alternative, in particular simply constructed hinge arrangement.

A refrigeration appliance is understood in particular to be a household refrigeration appliance, that is to say a refrigeration appliance used for household purposes or possibly even in the gastronomy sector, and in particular for storing food and / or beverages in household quantities at specific temperatures, such as, for example, a refrigerator, a freezer , a fridge freezer or a wine storage cabinet.

The object is achieved by a refrigerator, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising a body, a arranged in the body, a storage room for refrigerated goods forming thermally insulated inner container and at least one hinged about a vertical axis on the body door leaf, which opens and closes the storage space by means of a self-closing Hinge assembly is mounted having a cam gear having an engaging member and a cooperating with the engaging member cam member which includes a Radialgleitbahn on which the engaging member along, wherein the engaging member has a rigidly attached to the engaging member Gegenanschlagsfläche and the cam member a maximum opening angle of the door leaf defining fixed stop surface, at which the counter stop surface of the engaging member is present at the maximum opening angle of the door leaf.

By the engagement member has a mating stop surface rigidly attached to the engaging member and the cam member has a fixed stop surface limiting the maximum opening angle of the door leaf against which the counter stop surface of the engagement member is present at maximum opening angle of the door leaf, a very rigid construction of a stopper is provided, even at high loads , Especially at high opening speeds of the door leaf provides a stable, especially durable door stop. Even under heavy load, the door leaf can not be swung over the allowable maximum opening angle for the door leaf. At the same time with a very stiff stop while the size of the hinge assembly in which the stop and a self-closing assembly is integrated, very compact, especially very small.

The fixed abutment surface and the corresponding counter stop surface can be flat and meet in a plane perpendicular to their direction of approach when reaching the maximum opening angle of the door leaf. Due to a planar design of fixed stop surface and corresponding counter stop surface in combination with lying in a direction perpendicular to their direction of alignment of the plane of fixed stop surface and counter stop surface a stop force is always introduced perpendicular to the stop surface, so that no lateral forces can result. By avoiding lateral forces undesirable stresses in the hinge assembly can be prevented or at least reduced. Thus, the hinge assembly can be made smaller and / or lighter and unnecessary material stiffening can be omitted.

The fixed stop surface may be formed on a cam member having the hinge pin. By the fixed stop surface is formed directly on the cam member and thus directly on the hinge pin, results in a particularly rigid design. In this case, high forces can be transmitted without fastening means having joints must be provided, which would have to be designed correspondingly large to transmit these high forces.

The hinge pin having the fixed stop surface may be rigidly connected to the body and the engagement member having the counter stop surface may be formed as a slider supported on the door leaf or in the door leaf. The slider is thus slidably mounted with respect to the door panel. The slider may be spring biased to implement a self-closing device. The slider may in particular be integrated in the hinge arrangement which is formed on the door leaf or in the door leaf.

The slider may have a front end wall, protrudes from a projection on the side wall of the counter-attack surface is formed. The slide can in this respect have a paragraph, on the projecting side wall of the counter-attack surface is formed. The slider can thus have a longitudinal extent, which is oriented perpendicular or tangential to the pivoting movement of the door leaf, in particular also perpendicular to the direction of the force of impact. The slider can be displaceable in particular perpendicular or tangential to the pivoting movement of the door leaf, in particular also perpendicular to the direction of impact force. The slider may be spring biased to realize a self-closing device.

The cam member, in particular the hinge pin can be connected to a hinged to the body, fixed hinge part and the engagement member, in particular the slider can be connected to a posted on the door leaf, the movable hinge part. This means that the function of the fixed stop in the hinge assembly for pivotally supporting the door leaf on Body, can be integrated. The fixed stop surface and the counter stop surface form the essential components of the fixed stop. In this case, the fixed stop surface may be formed on the cam member, in particular on the hinge pin of that hinge part which is connected to the body. In addition, the counter stop surface, in particular the slider can be formed on that hinge part, which is connected to the door leaf. The hinge part connected to the body can serve as a fixed hinge part. The hinged part connected to the door leaf can serve as a movable hinge part.

The movable hinge part may have at least two spaced apart, parallel guide walls, between which the slider is mounted linearly displaceable. The two arranged at a distance from each other, parallel guide walls can form a channel that represents a linear bearing for the slide. The distance between the two guide walls corresponds, taking into account a necessary match clearance for the sliding bearing of the slider, the width of the slider.

The guide walls may be provided on an inner jacket wall of a cylindrical blind hole of the movable hinge part, in particular a blind hole with a circular, rectangular or square cross section. Such a blind hole, which may also be formed as a bore, may be incorporated or molded in a housing component of the hinge part. The hinge part or the housing component may be formed, for example, as a casting, in particular as a plastic injection molded part or as a metal casting, such as an aluminum die cast part.

The engaging member may be spring-biased for generating a the door leaf in a closed position pivoting torque, in particular by a force acting on the rear end wall of the slider spring, in particular spring coil, in the movable hinge part. The engaging member or the slider can thereby form a guided inside the jacket wall piston, which is pressed by the spring against the hinge pin. At the hinge pin, a cam member may have a shape or Gleitflächenform, both by the fixed stop surface Stop forms, as well as by the spring bias of the engaging member or the slider forms a self-closing device for the door leaf.

In order to form a self-closing device, the radial sliding track of the cam member, in particular of the hinge pin, can be designed to generate a torque which pivots the door leaf into a closed position exclusively up to an opening angle of the door leaf of at most 90 degrees, in particular at most 45 degrees.

The door leaf may be pivotally hinged to the body in a region of one of its vertical side edges by at least two vertically spaced hinges about the vertical axis, and at least one of the hinges may comprise the self-closing hinge assembly. In particular, a self-closing hinge arrangement arranged at the lower front end and / or upper front end of the door leaf may be provided.

The cam gear can generally have a cam member and an engaging member which contact each other in a cam joint. The cam member and the engaging member may be formed, for example, as a cam and a cam follower.

The cam member and the engaging member thus contact each other along the Radialgleitbahn. The shape, shape and / or contour of the cam member and / or the engagement member define a door closing torque is generated in which pivot angle range of the swiveling or zuschwenkenden door leaf.

The self-closing hinge assembly may include a hinge pin carrying the cam member and a slider bearing the follower member. The engagement member or the slider can penetrate into a cavity of the door leaf-side housing component by the hinge pin rotates relative to the door leaf. In that regard, the Radialgleitbahn is formed by an outwardly facing jacket wall of the hinge pin. The cam member, in particular the hinge pin, may have a radially outwardly directed radial sliding track and the engagement member, in particular the slider, may have a projection pointing radially into the cavity. The curve member and the engagement member may be configured as a cam and a cam follower.

The radial sliding track of the cam member and / or the engaging member, in particular the slider or the protrusion may be configured to generate a torque pivoting the door leaf in a closed position exclusively up to an opening angle of the door leaf of at most 90 degrees, in particular of at most 45 degrees. In this case, a portion of the Radialgleitbahn along which the engaging member, in particular the projection up to an opening angle of the door leaf of at most 90 degrees, in particular of at most 45 degrees, for generating the torque of a radial force, which may be generated by the spring, runs along , have a sloping edge. Alternatively or additionally, a portion of the Radialgleitbahn, along which the engaging member, in particular the projection from an opening angle of the door leaf of more than 90 degrees without generating the torque from the radial force along, describe a circular arc.

This can ensure that if necessary by the user of the refrigerator, in particular household refrigeration appliance, the door leaf can remain in an open position without the door leaf pivots back automatically into its closed position. If a torque is generated only at an opening angle of the door leaf of at most 90 degrees, the user can allow a continuous open the door leaf, that it swings the door leaf by more than 90 degrees, in particular by more than 45 degrees. A self-closing effect is then no longer given. In the case of a design of the cam member and the engagement member as a cam and a cam follower while the cam would be located in the region of the radial track of the cam follower, which has a circular arc-shaped contour in cross-section. If the door leaf is to close automatically, the user only has to bring and release the door leaf into an open position with an opening angle of less than 90 degrees, in particular less than 45 degrees, so that now, for example, the engagement element, in particular the projection on a sloping flank of the curve element , in particular, the slider is present, so that due to the radial force from the spring bias, the engagement member presses against the cam member and as a result a torque acts on the door leaf, which can close the door leaf itself.

In order to ensure a clear seat of the door leaf in a defined altitude, a thrust bearing can be provided. The thrust bearing can in particular be formed by a pairing of an axial seating surface and an axial counter seating surface. The Axialsitzfläche and the Axialgegensitzfläche make sure that the door leaf performs no vertical movement. Thus, in all embodiments, the movable hinge member may have a horizontally extending planar axial seating surface which cooperates with an associated horizontally extending planar axial counter seating surface of the fixed hinge member for holding the door panel at a fixed elevation.

In summary, and with differently shown under the invention, among other things, a self-closing hinge arrangement result, in which a stop for limiting a maximum opening angle of the door leaf is integrated into a journal of a hinge assembly for pivotally supporting the door leaf on a body of the household refrigerator. In this case, the function of self-closing and pivoting stop can be installed visually hidden in a hinge assembly of the door panel. In particular, the door closing function and the stop function can be carried out on the same journal.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying figures. Concrete features of this embodiment may represent general features of the invention.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Haushaltskältegerätes mit zwei schwenkbar am Korpus angeschlagenen Türblättern, von denen jedes mit einer erfindungsgemäßen selbstschließenden Scharnieranordnung ausgestattet ist;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Teilansicht einer selbstschließenden Scharnieranordnung an einer unteren Stirnseite eines der Türblätter gemäß Fig. 1 in einer explodierten Darstellung;

Fig. 3

eine Teilschnittansicht durch die selbstschließende Scharnieranordnung gemäß Fig. 2 in einer Schließstellung des Türblatts;

Fig. 4

eine Teilschnittansicht durch die selbstschließende Scharnieranordnung gemäß Fig. 2 in einer teilweise geöffneten Stellung des Türblatts, in der eine Selbstschließung aktiv ist;

Fig. 5

eine Teilschnittansicht durch die selbstschließende Scharnieranordnung gemäß Fig. 2 in einer teilweise geöffneten Stellung des Türblatts, in der eine Selbstschließung nicht aktiv ist;

Fig. 6

eine Teilschnittansicht durch die selbstschließende Scharnieranordnung gemäß Fig. 2 in einer maximalen Offenstellung des Türblatts, in der das Türblatt an einer erfindungsgemäßen Anschlagsfläche ansteht.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a household refrigerator with two hinged door hinged to the body, each of which is equipped with a self-closing hinge assembly according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a partial perspective view of a self-closing hinge assembly on a lower end side of one of the door leaves according to Fig. 1 in an exploded representation;

Fig. 3

a partial sectional view through the self-closing hinge assembly according to Fig. 2 in a closed position of the door panel;

Fig. 4

a partial sectional view through the self-closing hinge assembly according to Fig. 2 in a partially open position of the door panel in which a self-closing is active;

Fig. 5

a partial sectional view through the self-closing hinge assembly according to Fig. 2 in a partially open position of the door panel, in which a self-closing is not active;

Fig. 6

a partial sectional view through the self-closing hinge assembly according to Fig. 2 in a maximum open position of the door leaf, in which the door leaf is present at a stop surface according to the invention.

The Fig. 1 shows a household refrigerator 1 in the design of a Kühlgefrierkombinationsgerätes. The household refrigerator 1 has at least one heat-insulated inner container 2, in the illustrated embodiment, two heat-insulated inner container 2a, 2b. An upper heat-insulated inner container 2a forms a cooling space 3a as a storage space 3 for storing refrigerated goods above zero degrees Celsius, in particular between zero degrees and plus eight degrees Celsius. The upper heat-insulated inner container 2a is closed by a first door leaf 4a. A lower heat-insulated inner container 2b forms a freezer compartment 3b as a storage space 3 for storing refrigerated goods below zero degrees Celsius, in particular at about minus 18 degrees Celsius. The lower heat-insulated inner container 2b is closed by a second door leaf 4b.

Each of the two door leaves 4a, 4b is struck by means of an upper hinge 5a, 5b and a lower hinge 6a, 6b on a body 7 of the household refrigerating appliance 1, ie pivotally mounted. Due to the hinges 5a, 6a, the door leaf 4a is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis A. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the lower hinge 6a has a self-closing hinge arrangement 8 according to the invention.

In the Fig. 2 the self-closing hinge assembly 8 is shown in an enlarged partial view. The self-closing hinge assembly 8 has a cam mechanism 18 which has an engagement member 16 and a cam member 14 cooperating with the engagement member 16. The cam member 14 carries a Radialgleitbahn 19, on which the engaging member 16 along. The engagement member 16 has for this purpose a projection 30, on whose side wall 31, a counter-stop surface 32 is formed.

The cam member 14 is mounted on a hinge pin 17 in the illustrated embodiment. The hinge pin 17 is connected to a hinged to the body 7, fixed hinge part 21. The engagement member 16, which is designed in particular as a slide 16a, is connected to a hinged to the door leaf 4a, 4b, hinge part 22.

The movable hinge part 22 has two spaced-apart, parallel guide walls 33, 34, between which the slider 16a is mounted linearly displaceable. The guide walls 33, 34 are provided in the exemplary embodiment on an inner jacket wall 35 of a cylindrical blind hole 36 of the movable hinge part 22. In the exemplary embodiment, the blind hole 36 has a circular or square cross-section.

The engagement member 16 has the engagement member 16 rigidly fixed counter stop surface 32 and the cam member 14 a maximum opening angle of the door leaf 4a, 4b limiting fixed stop surface 37, against which the counter stop surface 32 of the engaging member 16 at maximum opening angle of the door leaf 4a, 4b. The fixed abutment surface 37 and the corresponding counterstop surface 32 are flat and meet in a plane perpendicular to their approaching direction upon reaching the maximum opening angle of the door leaf 4a, 4b, as in FIG Fig. 6 shown. The fixed stop surface 37 is formed on the cam member 14 having the hinge pin 17. The fixed stop surface having hinge pin 17 is rigidly connected to the body 7 and the mating stop surface 32 having engaging member 16 is formed as a on the door leaf 4a, 4b or in the door leaf 4a, 4b mounted slide 16a.

The slider 16a has a front end wall 38, protrudes from a projection 30, on the side wall of the counter-stop surface 32 is formed.

The engaging member 16 is spring-biased by a spring coil 39 for generating a door leaf 4 a, 4 b in a closed position pivoting torque D in the illustrated embodiment.

The radial slide track 19 of the cam member 14, in particular of the hinge pin 17, is designed to generate a torque D pivoting the door leaf 4a, 4b in a closed position exclusively up to an opening angle of the door leaf 4a, 4b in the exemplary embodiment of approximately 45 degrees.

Like in the Fig. 3 to Fig. 6 As shown, the door panel 4a, as well as the door panel 4b, which may be provided with an identical self-closing hinge arrangement 8, has an outer skin 9 and an inner skin 10. Between the outer skin 9 and the inner skin 10, an insulating layer 11 may be introduced. The door leaf 4a is as in Fig. 1 shown hinged in an area of one of its vertical side edges 12 by at least two vertically spaced hinges 5a, 6a about the vertical axis A pivotally mounted on the body 7. The self-closing hinge assembly 8 can, as in Fig. 2 shown to be integrated into a lower edge termination 13. The lower edge termination 13 may be, for example, a plastic component that is attached to lower edges of the inner skin 10 and the outer skin 9.

In the edge termination 13, which is connected to the door leaf 4a, the slider 16a is integrated. The cam member 14 is formed on the hinge pin 17. The cam member 14 is connected to a hinged to the body 7, fixed hinge part 21. The cam member 14 and the engaging member 16 form the cam gear 18th

An axial seating surface 23, as in FIG Fig. 2 shown cooperates with an associated, horizontally extending, flat Axialgegensitzfläche 24 of the fixed hinge part 21. Through the Axialsitzfläche 23 and the Axialgegensitzfläche 24, the door leaf 4a, 4b held in a fixed altitude.

The cam member 14 has a radial slide 19. The radial slide 19 causes the generation of the torque D from the radial force generated by the spring coil 39 when the door leaf 4a, 4b is pivoted. In this case, the projection 30 of the slider 16a slides on the Radialgleitbahn 19 of the cam member 14 along. When opening the door panel 4a, 4b, the projection 30 of the slider 16a slides from a closed position of the door panel 4a, 4b according to FIG Fig. 3 in a position according to Fig. 4 and then according to Fig. 5 ,

As can be seen, the movable hinge part 22, which is formed in particular in the illustrated embodiment by the edge termination 13, the slider 16a. An end face 38 of the slider 16a carries the projection 30. In a movement of the door panel 4a, 4b from a position according to Fig. 3 in a position according to Fig. 4 the projection 30 slides along a sloping flank 40, whereby the spring coil 39 is tensioned by the pushing back of the slide 16a. If now the door leaf 4 a, 4 b released, so the tensioned spring coil 39 automatically pushes the slider 16 a against the inclined edge 40 which due to the fixed, connected to the body 7 hinge pin 17, the door leaf 4 a, 4 b in a closed position Fig. 3 is automatically pivoted back. This realizes the automatic hinge assembly.

Will the door leaf over the in Fig. 4 The opening 30 is seated on a first track section 41a, which is circular in cross-section, of the radial slide track 19, as shown by the opening position of the door leaf 4a, 4b. The door leaf 4a, 4b has approximately an opening angle of approximately 45 degrees. The slider 16a is spring-biased, but can not cause movement of the door panel 4a, 4b due to the track portion 41a of the radial slide 19 being perpendicular to the direction of movement.

If the door leaf 4a, 4b is further opened until it is in Fig. 6 reached position, first sitting in the Fig. 5 Upper front-side end wall 38a of the slider 16a on the circular in cross-section first track portion 41a of the radial slide 19 on. After further rotation of the door panel 4a, 4b then sits in Fig. 6 lower front end wall 38b of the slider 16a on a circular cross-section in the second track portion 41b of the radial slide 19 on. In both cases, the slider 16a is spring biased, but may be due to the vertical to the direction of movement lying track portions 41a and 41b of the radial slide 19 cause no movement of the door panel 4a, 4b. Once the door leaf in the in Fig. 6 shown pivoted position, proposes the engaging member 16, ie on the slider 16a rigidly fixed counter-stop surface 32 to the fixed stop surface 37 of the hinge pin 17, so that further pivoting of the door panel 4a, 4b is reliably prevented.

In the in Fig. 6 shown stop position of the hinge pin 17 of the projection 30 of the slider 16a immersed in a lying between the first web portion 41 a and the second web portion 41b bay 42 a. During the closing of the door leaf 4a, 4b, ie a turning of the door leaf 4a, 4b of the in Fig. 6 shown position in the clockwise direction, the projection 30 of the slider 16a is forced out of the bay 42 due to a third track section 41c and fully biased again, so that for a later self-closing on the inclined edge 40, according to Fig. 4 , the slider 16a can transmit a sufficient closing force.

Claims (10)

Refrigerating appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising a body (7), a in the body (7) arranged, a storage space (3) for refrigerated goods forming thermally insulated inner container (2, 2a, 2b) and at least one about a vertical axis (A) pivotally mounted on the body (7) hinged door leaf (4a, 4b) supported for opening and closing the storage space (3) by means of a self-closing hinge assembly (8) having a cam gear (18), an engaging member (16) and an engaging member (16) comprises a cooperating cam member (14) comprising a radial sliding track (19) on which the engagement member (16) runs along, characterized in that the engagement member (16) has a counter stop surface (32) rigidly attached to the engagement member (16). and the cam member (14) has a maximum stop angle of the door leaf (4a, 4b) defining the fixed stop surface (37) on which the counter stop surface (32) of the engaging member (16) at max imalen opening angle of the door leaf (4a, 4b) is present. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed abutment surface (37) and the corresponding counter stop surface (32) are flat and meet in a direction perpendicular to their approach direction plane upon reaching the maximum opening angle of the door leaf (4a, 4b) meet. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fixed stop surface (37) is formed on a cam member (14) having hinge pin (17). Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the hinge pin (17) having the fixed abutment surface (37) is rigidly connected to the body (7) and the engaging member (16) having the counter abutment surface (37) as one on the door leaf (4a, 4b). or in the door leaf (4a, 4b) mounted slide (16a) is formed. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the slide (16a) has a front end wall (38) from which protrudes a projection (30) on whose side wall (31), the counter stop surface (32) is formed. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the cam member (14), in particular the hinge pin (17) with a on the body (7) posted, fixed hinge part (21) is connected and the engaging member (16), in particular the slider (16a) is connected to a hinged to the door leaf (4a, 4b), movable hinge part (22). Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the movable hinge part (22) at least two spaced apart, parallel guide walls (33, 34), between which the slide (16a) is mounted linearly displaceable. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that the guide walls (33, 34) on an inner jacket wall (35) of a cylindrical blind hole (36) of the movable hinge part (22), in particular a blind hole (36) provided with a circular, rectangular or square cross-section are. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the engagement member (16) for generating a the door leaf (4a, 4b) in a closed position pivoting torque (D) spring biased, in particular by a at the rear end wall of the slide (16a) engaging spring, in particular spring coil (39), in the movable hinge part (22) is mounted. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that the Radialgleitbahn (19) of the cam member (14), in particular of the hinge pin (17) is formed, a the door leaf (4a, 4b) in a closed position pivoting torque (D) exclusively up to an opening angle of the door leaf (4a, 4b) of at most 90 degrees, in particular at most 45 degrees.

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