EP2529167A1

EP2529167A1 - Cooling device with a fastening element

Info

Publication number: EP2529167A1
Application number: EP11701057A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bilal Cinici
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2010-01-30
Filing date: 2011-01-18
Publication date: 2012-12-05
Also published as: TR201000694A2; WO2011092077A1

Abstract

Invention is a cooling device comprising a body (20) delimiting an inner room (70) by means of side walls (27), a rear wall (21) between the side walls (27) and an insulation layer (24) abutting to an inner surface (26) of the rear wall (21). At least one socket (60) is extending from rear wall (21 ) inside the insulation layer (24) wherein an open end (63) of the socket (60) is arranged at the rear wall (21) such that an insert (51) is being received into the socket (60).

Description

COOLING DEVICE WITH A FASTENING ELEMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to cooling devices which have a fastening element in order to connect several items and which comprise a body with a heat insulation layer. THE KNOWN STATE OF THE ART

In domestic type cooling devices, the inner room is delimited by a body which has an insulation layer between the rear wall and a liner. The auxiliary items which are related to the cooling cycle or which are different are secured to the liner.

A fastening element used in order to secure an item to the liner is disclosed by means of a patent publication GB1244271 . The fastening element comprises an anchorage in order to be mounted to a surface of the liner and an insert engaging to the anchorage by being pressed after passing through a hole on the wall of the liner through the other surface of the liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Under the light of the known state of the art, the object of the present invention is to ease the fastening of a plurality of items to the outer body of the cooling device.

In order to realize said object, the present invention is a cooling device comprising a body delimiting an inner room by means of side walls, a rear wall between the side walls and an insulation layer abutting to an inner surface of the rear wall characterized in that at least one socket extending from rear wall inside the insulation layer wherein an open end of the socket is arranged at the rear wall such that an insert is being received into the socket. The socket takes the insert inside and secures any item which the insert is coupled to the rear wall. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a flange extending outwardly from the open end and in contact with the inner surface of the rear wall. Thus, the connection surface area of the inner surface and the socket is increased by means of the flange.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive layer is arranged between the inner surface and the flange. The adhesive layer may be for instance a chemical adhesive. The adhesive layer connects the flange to the inner surface. Thus, the socket is secured to the rear wall.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an opening on the rear wall is at least partly overlapping with the open end. In a probable embodiment, the open end and the opening overlap completely. Because of this, the insert enters the socket through the opening on the rear wall.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the socket is having a bushing embedded into the insulation layer in longitudinal direction (L) to accommodate the insert. At the same time the bushing forms the body of the socket.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the socket is having at least one ear extending radially outwardly from the socket into the insulation layer to secure the plug in the insulation layer. The ears are placed equally intermittently on the socket.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rear wall is substantially made of paper. In a probable embodiment, card board is used as the rear wall and the insulation layer contacts with the inner surface of the card board facing the inner room. Polyurethane may be used as the insulation layer.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insert is having a hole to accommodate a fastening element. The fastening element can be fastened to the insert by being connected to an item, thus by the placement of the insert to the socket, an item is secured to the rear wall.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insert is having substantially parallel legs moving radially outwardly in the socket while fastening element is being accommodated. The legs opening outwardly provide the insert to be accommodated inside the socket and they prevent the insert to displace outwardly when pulled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In order to understand the embodiment of the present invention with the additional elements in the best way, it had to be evaluated with the figures that are explained below. Figure 1 is the lateral cross section of the built-in refrigerator comprising a representative embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is the lateral view of the cavity of the refrigerator where compressor is placed. Figure 3 is the rear perspective view of the socket with the insert where the socket on the rear wall is inside the insulation layer.

Figure 4 is the lateral partial cross sectional view illustrating the pre-assembly position of the insert and the socket.

THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In Figure 1 , domestic type refrigerator which is a cooling device (10) is illustrated representatively with the lateral cross section thereof. The cooling device (10) comprises a body (20) whose one face is open and which delimits an inner room (23) and it comprises a door (12) closing the open face of the inner room (23) in a manner that can be opened and in a hinged manner. The body (20) comprises two mutual side walls (27) parallel to each other and a rear wall (21 ) combining these along the rear side. The lower part of the rear wall (21 ) forms a cavity (30) by forming a recess towards the inner room (23). A compressor (40) related to the cooling cycle seats onto the base of the cavity (30). An item (50) on the compressor (40) is fixed to the body (20) by means of a socket (60) on the rear wall (20) and a fastening element (80) in between. In the present application this item (50) is a tray carrying a plurality of components thereon. In Figure 2, the part of the body (20) which has a cavity (30) is illustrated in zoomed form in a case where there is no compressor (40). There is an insulation layer (24) between the rear wall (21 ) and a liner (25) which is at a distance on the body (20). The item (50) is fixed from one end onto the rear wall's (21 ) an outer surface (22) facing outwards. In order to fix the item (50), a socket (60) is fixed to the inner surface (26) of the rear wall (21 ).

In Figure 3, a representative embodiment of the socket (60) is illustrated. The socket (60) has a bushing (61 ) with cylindrical grade extending inside the insulation layer (24) axially. From the opening of the open end (63) of the bushing (61 ), a radial flange (67) extends outwardly. In the present embodiment, flange (67) has a circular disc structure. Longitudinally outwards the bushing (61 ), an ear (64) extending vertically to the flange (67) is embedded inside the insulation layer (24). The ear (64) extends outwardly as two pieces with opposite directions where the two pieces are symmetric according to an imaginary axis cutting the bushing (61 ) in the middle. A rear surface (68) of the flange (67) is coated by the insulation layer (24). A front surface (69) of the flange which is opposite of the rear surface (68) and which faces the inner surface (26) of the rear wall (21 ) is adhered to the rear wall (21 ) by means of an adhesive layer (70) as illustrated in Figure 4. In the representative embodiment illustrated here, the flange (67) is in parallel position to the rear wall (21 ) and as opposite to this, the bushing (61 ) is essentially in orthogonal position to the rear wall (21 ).

The item (50) which is desired to be secured to the rear wall (21 ) has a planar rear surface (52) which is in contact with the rear wall (21 ). An orthogonal insert (51 ) extends from here outwardly. The insert (51 ) has a head portion (54) with a wide diameter and in the end it has a graded cylindrical hollow form comprising a leg (56) portion with a narrower diameter. There is a slot which cuts the leg (56) part in the middle along the whole length. The inner volume of the head portion (54) is hollow so as to comprise a hole (58). The outer diameter of the insert (51 ) is essentially smaller than the inner diameter of the socket (60).

During the manufacture of the cooling device (10), an opening (28) is formed on a card board forming the rear wall (21 ). The socket (60) is adhered from the flange (67) from the front surface (69) thereof to the inner surface (26) of the rear wall (21 ) so as to wrap the opening (28) periphery. For adhesion, the adhesive layer (70) is formed by adhesive between the front surface (69) and the inner surface (26). In order to form the body (20), insulation layer (24) is filled between the liner (25) and the rear wall (21 ). In the present application, the insulation layer (24) is polyurethane based. Since the socket (60) is adhered to the rear wall during the formation of the insulation layer (24), the socket (60) is strongly fixed to its place. Moreover, since one end of the bushing (61 ) forms a closed end (65), the insulation layer (24) makes the inner volume of the bushing (61 ) hollow. The open end (63) of the bushing (61 ) is aligned to the opening (28) on the rear wall (21 ).

In order to secure an item (50) to the rear wall (21 ), the insert (51 ) which is an extension of the item (50) enters into the socket (60) from the opening (28). The head and leg portions (54, 56) of the insert (51 ) are seated into the bushing (61 ). The head portion (54) with a wide diameter is seated onto the bearing (66) and the grade surface leans to the grade of the bearing (66). The leg (56) is engaged into the housing (62). The engagement of the leg (56) into the slot (62) is loose engagement. A fastening element (80) runs between the legs (56) by passing through the hole (58) in the longitudinal direction (L) and pushes the legs (56) outwardly. The outer part of the legs (56) contacts with the inner surface of the housing (62) and fixes the insert (60) inside the bushing (61 ). The fastening element (80) is a screw. The screw opens a screw thread in the slot between the legs (56). The head portion seats into the hole (58).

REFERENCE NUMBERS 0 Cooling device 52 Rear surface 2 Front door 54 Head portion 0 Body 56 Legs

1 Rear wall 58 Hole

2 Outer surface 60 Socket

3 Inner room 61 Bushing

4 Insulation layer 62 Housing

5 Liner 63 Open end

6 Inner surface 64 Ear

7 Side wall 64 Closed end 8 Opening 66 Bearing

0 Cavity 67 Flange

0 Compressor 68 Rear surface

50 Item 69 Front surface

51 Insert 70 Adhesive layer

L longitudinal direction 80 Fastening element

Claims

1. A cooling device comprising a body (20) delimiting an inner room (70) by means of side walls (27), a rear wall (21 ) between the side walls (27) and an insulation layer (24) abutting to an inner surface (26) of the rear wall (21 ) characterized in that at least one socket (60) extending from rear wall (21 ) inside the insulation layer (24) wherein an open end (63) of the socket (60) is arranged at the rear wall (21 ) such that an insert (51 ) is being received into the socket (60).

2. A cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein a flange (64) is extending outwardly from the open end (63) and in contact with the inner surface (26) of the rear wall (21 ).

3. A cooling device according to claim 2, wherein an adhesive layer (70) is arranged between the inner surface (26) and the flange (64).

4. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an opening (28) on the rear wall (21 ) is at least partly overlapping with the open end (63).

5. A cooling device according to the any of the preceding claims, wherein the socket (60) is having a bushing (61 ) embedded into the insulation layer (24) in longitudinal direction (L) to accommodate the insert (51 ).

6. A cooling device according to the any of the preceding claims, wherein the socket (60) is having at least one ear (64) extending radially outwardly from the socket (60) into the insulation layer (24) to secure the plug (60) in the insulation layer (24).

7. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rear wall (21 ) is substantially made of paper.

8. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the insert (54) is having a hole (58) to accommodate a fastening element (80).

9. A cooling device according to claim 8, wherein the insert (54) is having substantially parallel legs (56) moving radially outwardly in the socket (60) while fastening element (80) is being accommodated.