EP2580551B1

EP2580551B1 - A cooling device

Info

Publication number: EP2580551B1
Application number: EP11723980.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Faik Emre Ozyuksel; Ercan Akyuz; Birol Konak; Fethi Sen; Ridvan Kadir Celik
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2010-06-08
Filing date: 2011-06-08
Publication date: 2014-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2031-06-08
Also published as: CN102918344A; ES2469371T3; WO2011154440A1; EP2580551A1; CN102918344B

Description

The present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a shelf the height of which can be adjusted.
In cooling devices such as refrigerators and deep freezers the foodstuffs and various containers are placed on the shelves. Depending on the needs of the user, the distance between the two shelves can be required to be adjusted, in other words the height of the shelf in the body can be required to be changed.
In some cooling devices, channels or rails that extend parallel to each other are disposed on the two opposite side walls of the body so that the height of the shelf can be changed. The user changes the height of the shelf by taking it out from the channels at one level and placing at another pair of channels at the desired level. However, for this operation, the user has to first pull the shelf towards the outside of the body and afterwards push back towards the body rear wall after placing at the channel pair at the desired height level. In order to perform this operation safely, the foodstuffs and containers on the shelf has to be at least partially taken out and to be placed on the shelf again after the operation is completed.
In cooling devices, shelf mechanisms are used that comprise electrical drive or transmission systems in order to solve the above mentioned problem. The motor and auxiliary elements used in these mechanisms occupy an extra space inside the cooling device and increase material and labor costs.
In the state of the art United States of America Patent Application No. US3352431 , a refrigerator is described, comprising shelves that change places between two horizontal positions by the rotational movement made by the crank arms connected to the shelves. In this embodiment, at the front of the body, a crank arm is disposed, connected from one end to the body and from the other end to the shelf that makes a rotational movement and at the rear thereof two separate housings for both horizontal positions, providing the rear section of the shelf to be borne. The shelf is slightly lifted from the rear ends and released from the housing while passing from the first horizontal position to the second horizontal position.
In the state of the art International Patent Application No. WO03038356 , a cooling device is described comprising a shelf that can be located between two horizontal axis, at the lower position and the higher position parallel to the base and an inclined positions between these two positions, by means of the movement of support arms disposed at the sides thereof. In these embodiments, a latch-lock mechanism is used for securing the shelf at the higher position. In the lower position, any locking mechanism is not provided.
WO 03/038356 A1 discloses a cooling device comprising: a body having two opposite side walls; one or more than one shelf, whereon objects could be placed, that can be located at a lower position and a higher position at different levels from each other inside the body; one or more than one supporting means having a recess disposed thereon; a connecting element having a first arm seated rotatably in the recess, a second arm mounted rotatably to the shelf, and having an extension that extends almost vertically to the arms so as to form a difference of height between the rotational axes of the first arm and the second arm and providing the vertical position of the shelf inside the body to be changed by means of the rotational movement made by its arms around their horizontal axes; and one locking means that provides the shelf to be locked by interacting with the extension when the shelf is in the higher position.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device comprising a shelf, the height of which can be easily changed without removing the objects thereon. In order to attain the aim of the present invention a cooling device according to claim 1 is provided.
In the cooling device, one or more than one shelf, whereon objects could be placed, that can be located in different horizontal positions in the body, one or more than one supporting means attached to the side wall, with recess disposed thereon, and a connecting element having a first arm rotatably seated in the recess, a second arm rotatably mounted to the shelf, an extension that extends almost vertical to the arms so as to form a height difference between the rotational axes of the first arm and the second arm are provided. The connecting element provides the vertical position of the shelf to be changed between two different positions, without taking it out of the body, by means of the rotational movement of its arms around their own horizontals axes.
Furthermore, one or more than one locking means is provided on the supporting means disposed on the side wall, providing the shelf to be locked in the lower position or the higher position at which it is located.
The first arm of the connecting element is connected to the recess on the supporting means, and the second arm to the shelf. Both arms can freely rotate around their own axes. The shelf, when located at the lower position, is released from the locking means with a motion started by the user and becomes movable. The shelf is changed from the lower position to the higher position as a result of the rotational movement made by the arms. Afterwards, the shelf is locked at the higher position by providing contact of the extension with the locking means. The same procedures are implemented while passing from the higher position to the lower position.
In an embodiment a fixing extension is disposed at the rear side of the supporting means, providing it to be secured to the side wall. The supporting means is easily attached to the side wall by means of the fixing extension, without requiring the use of additional parts such as bolts, nuts etc. Thus, part and labor costs decrease.
Housings are disposed on the edges of the shelf facing the side walls. The second arm of the connecting element is seated in the housing and can rotate in the housing during movement.
In an embodiment of the present invention, two locking means are provided on the upper and lower parts of the recess, making a 180 degree angle with each other and extending perpendicularly to the base of the cooling device. The locking means are in the form of channels wherein the extension can be seated. The extension prevents the shelf from moving in the horizontal axis by being seated in the channel on the lower part of the recess while the shelf is at the lower position and by being seated in the channel on the upper part thereof while the shelf is at the higher position. The locking means being configured in channel form provides the user with ease of use against complex mechanisms.
In the cooling device, there are a total of four supporting means, two at the front and two at the rear parts of the opposite side walls for each shelf and four connecting elements, providing the shelf to be fastened to the supporting means.
A transmission rod is provided that connects the connecting elements disposed on the opposite side walls at the same level to each other. Thus, the opposite connecting elements move together during movement of the shelf.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a casing is provided at the lower portion of the shelf. The casing extends along the shelf, between the edges of the shelf facing the side walls. The rear part of the casing is configured curvedly so as to bear the transmission rod. The front part is shaped as a flat plate. The user maintains an easier control by holding the shelf from the casing during the movement of the shelf.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the casing is embedded in the plastic frame surrounding the shelf. Accordingly, the casing surrounds the transmission rod all around, providing it to be borne more firmly.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing is shaped like a hook that is disposed under the shelf. In this embodiment, since the housing is independent of the shelf, the available shelves left over from prior models and not having housings thereon can become usable by mounting hook-shaped housings underneath during production. Thus, production flexibility is provided. Furthermore, when the shelf is desired to be dismounted by the user, the arms are released from the housing by being pulled towards the slightly open rear end of the hook-shaped housing, and the shelf is provided to be easily separated from the body.
In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one groove is arranged on the supporting means. During the passage of the shelf from the higher position to the lower position, since gravity is in the same direction as the shelf movement, it becomes difficult to control the shelf movement when the extension is released from the locking means. The extension enters into the groove during movement, providing the shelf to slow down hence to control the movement more easily. In this embodiment, the depth of the groove is less than the depths of the channel shaped locking means. Consequently, a softer passage is provided.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the fixing extension is in screw form. Thus, both part and labor costs are decreased during production and also ease of use is provided for the user.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the fixing extension is in angled form. In this embodiment, the fixing extension is mounted to the side wall snap-fittingly and is prevented from rotating around itself due to its angled form.
By means of the present invention, since the shelf remains in horizontal position during passage from the lower position to the higher position and from the higher position to the lower position and is not required to be taken out of the body during the movement, the objects on the shelf are not required to be removed during height adjustment. This not only saves time but also provides ease of use. Moreover, by means of also providing a locking means in the lower position, the shelf is not free while in the lower position and the objects like bottles, jars thereon are prevented from falling off by an accidental impact. In the higher position, since an additional locking means is not required, cost advantage and ease of use is maintained.
The cooling device is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the perspective view of the cooling device of the present invention.
Figure 2 - is the exploded view of the cooling device of the present invention.
Figure 3 - is the partial view of the cooling device while the shelf is in the higher position.
Figure 4 - is the partial view of the cooling device while the shelf is in the lower position.
Figure 5 - is the perspective view of a shelf in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 - is the view of cross-section A - A in Figure 5.
Figure 7 - is the perspective view of a supporting means.
Figure 8 - is the perspective view of a connecting element.
Figure 9 - is the exploded view of the cooling device in another embodiment of the present invention.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1 - Cooling device
2 - Body
3 - Side wall
4 - Shelf
5 - Connecting element
6 - Supporting means
7, 107 - Locking means
8 - Recess
9 - Fixing extension
10 - Housing
11 - First arm
12 - Second arm
13 - Extension
14 - Casing
15 - Transmission rod
16 - Groove

The cooling device (1) comprises

a body (2) having two opposite side walls (3),
one or more than one shelf (4), whereon objects are placed, that can be located at a lower position (P1) and a higher position (P2) at different levels from each other inside the body (2),
one or more than one supporting means (6), attached to the side wall (3), having a recess (8) disposed thereon and
a connecting element (5) having a first arm (11) seated rotatably in the recess (8), a second arm (12) mounted rotatably to the shelf (4), having an extension (13) that extends almost vertically to the arms (11, 12) so as to form a difference of height between the rotational axes of the first arm (11) and the second arm (12), and providing the vertical position of the shelf (4) inside the body (2) to be changed by means of the rotational movement made by its arms (11, 12) around their horizontal axes (Figure 8).

The cooling device (1) of the present invention comprises one or more than one locking means (7), disposed on the supporting means (6), that provides the shelf (4) to be locked by interacting with the extension (13) when the shelf (4) is in the lower position (P1) and/or higher position (P2) (Figure 7).
The connecting elements (5) are fastened to the recess (8) on the supporting means (6) attached to the side wall (3) by means of the first arm (11) and to the shelf (4) by means of the second arm (12). Both arms (11, 12) can rotate freely around their own axes. While the shelf (4) is in the lower position (P1), the extension (13) is released from the locking means (7) as movement is started by the user and the shelf (4) becomes able to move. The shelf (4) is changed from the lower position (P1) in the horizontal axis to the higher position (P2) at a higher level as a result of the rotational movement made by the first arm (11) and the second arm (12) around their own axes (Figure 3). At the higher position (P2), the extension (13) is provided to interact with the locking means (7) thus providing the shelf (4) to be locked in that position (Figure 1).
While the shelf (4) is in the higher position (P2), the extension (13) is released from the locking means (7) as movement is started by the user and the shelf (4) becomes able to move. The shelf (4) is changed from the higher position (P2) in the horizontal axis to the lower position (P1) at a lower level as a result of the rotational movement made by the first arm (11) and the second arm (12) around their own axes (Figure 4). At the lower position (P1), the extension (13) is provided to interact with the locking means (7) thus providing the shelf (4) to be locked in that position.
The cooling device (1) comprises a fixing extension (9) disposed at the rear end of the supporting means (6) and that provides the supporting means (6) to be fastened to the side wall (3). The fixing extension (9) provides the supporting means (6) to be fastened to the side wall (3) without requiring an additional element. Thus, saving in part and labor costs is provided.
The cooling device (1) furthermore comprises one or more than one housing (10), disposed on the edges of the shelf (4) facing the side walls (3), wherein the second arm (12) of the connecting element (5) is seated. The second arm (12) that is seated in the housing (10) can rotate around itself during movement.
The supporting means (6) comprises two locking means (7, 107) that extend radially from the recess (8) thereon towards the outer periphery thereof and provide the shelf (4) to be locked in different positions by making a 180 degree angle with each other. The locking means (7) remaining at the lower side of the recess (8) provides locking of the shelf (4) in the lower position (P1), the locking means (107) at the upper side provides locking in the higher position (P2).
The locking means (7) is in form of a channel that extends radially from the recess (8) on the supporting means (6) towards the outer periphery of the supporting means (6), wherein the extension (13) can be seated. The extension (13) prevents the shelf (4) from moving in the horizontal axis by being seated in the locking means (7) at the lower side of the recess (8), in the lower position (P1) the shelf (4) is located as a result of the rotational movement. In the higher position (P2), the extension (13) prevents the shelf (4) from moving in the horizontal axis by being seated in the locking means (107) at the upper side of the recess (8). The locking means (7, 107) being in channel form provides ease of use.
In the cooling device (1), there is a total of four supporting means (6), two at the front and two at rear parts of the opposite side walls (3) for each shelf (4) and four connecting elements (5) providing the shelf (4) to be fastened to the supporting means (6).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises a transmission rod (15) that provides the connection between the supporting means (6) at the opposite side walls (3) and the shelf (4) and connecting the second arms (12) of the connecting elements (5) at the same level to each other. Accordingly, the connecting elements (5) fastened to the opposite supporting means (6) move together during the movement of the shelf (4) between the lower position (P1) and the higher position (P2).
In a version of this embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises a casing (14) at the front side of the lower surface of the shelf (4) and extending along the shelf (4),wherein the transmission rod (15) is disposed. The casing (14) extends along the shelf (4) between two edges of the shelf (4) facing the side walls (3) (Figure 5).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the casing (14) is in arcuated form such that an opening is formed between the casing (14) and the shelf (4) that can bear the transmission rod (15). The transmission rod (15) is disposed in the opening like portion at the rear side thereof. The front side is in handle form when viewed from across. Accordingly, the user is provided with an easier control by holding the shelf (4) from the casing (14) during movement of the shelf (4) (Figure 6).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the casing (14) is embedded into the plastic frame surrounding the sides of the shelf (4). In this embodiment, the casing (14) surrounds the transmission rod (15) all around. Accordingly, the transmission rod (15) is provided to be borne more firmly.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing (10) is hook-shaped and is disposed on the front part of the lower surface of the shelf (4), on its ends close to the side walls (3) (Figure 9). In this embodiment, the connecting elements (5) can be released from the housing (10) by pressing towards the open section at the rear side of the housing (10) thus providing the shelf (4) to be dismounted easily.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises at least one groove (16), disposed on the supporting means (6), that slows down the movement of the shelf (4) by being seated in the extension (13) during movement of the shelf (4) between the higher position (P2) and the lower position (P1). The groove (16) is positioned in the radial direction from the recess (8) on the supporting means (6) towards the outer periphery of the supporting means (6). During passage of the shelf (4) from the higher position (P2) to the lower position (P1), it becomes difficult to control the shelf (4) movement when the extension (13) is released from the locking means (107) since gravity is in the same direction as the shelf (4) movement. The extension (13) enters into the groove (16) during the movement of the shelf (4), providing the shelf (4) to slow down hence providing to control the movement more easily. In this embodiment, the depth of the groove (16) is less than the depth of the channel shaped locking means (7, 107).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the fixing extension (9) is screw shaped. The supporting means (6) is provided to be easily mounted to the side wall (3) by means of the screw shaped fixing extension (9).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the fixing extension (9) is angular shaped. In this embodiment, the supporting means (6) is mounted to the side wall (3) snap-fittingly and is prevented from rotating around its own axis due to the angled shape of the fixing extension (9). The fixing extension (9) can be configured in the geometrical shape of triangle, quadrangle, pentagon or polygonal.
By means of the present invention, since the shelf (4) remains in the horizontal position during passage from the lower position (P1) to the higher position (P2) and from the higher position (P2) to the lower position (P1) and is not required to be taken out of the body (2) during the movement, the objects thereon are not required to be removed during height adjustment. This not only saves time but also maintains ease of use. Moreover, by means of providing a locking means (7) also in the lower position (P1), the shelf (4) is not free while in the lower position (P1) and the objects like bottles, jars thereon are prevented from falling off by an accidental impact. In the higher position (P1), since an additional locking means is not required, cost advantage and ease of use is maintained.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A cooling device (1) comprising
- a body (2) having two opposite side walls (3),

- one or more than one shelf (4), whereon objects could be placed, that can be located at a lower position (P1) and a higher position (P2) at different levels from each other inside the body (2),

- one or more than one supporting means (6), attached to the side wall (3), having a recess (8) disposed thereon and

- a connecting element (5) having a first arm (11) seated rotatably in the recess (8), a second arm (12) mounted rotatably to the shelf (4), and having an extension (13) that extends almost vertically to the arms (11, 12) so as to form a difference of height between the rotational axes of the first arm (11) and the second arm (12) and providing the vertical position of the shelf (4) inside the body (2) to be changed by means of the rotational movement made by its arms (11, 12) around their horizontal axes, wherein one or more than one locking means (7), disposed on the supporting means (6), that provides the shelf (4) to be locked by interacting with the extension (13) when the shelf (4) is in the lower position (P1) and/or the higher position (P2).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the channel shaped locking means (7) that extends radially from the recess (8) on the supporting means (6) towards the outer periphery of the supporting means (6), wherein the extension (13) can be seated.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the supporting means (6) having two locking means (7, 107) that extend radially from the recess (8) thereon towards its outer periphery and provide the shelf (4) to be locked in different positions by making a 180 degree angle with each other.
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by one or more than one housing (10), disposed on the edges of the shelf (4) facing the side walls (3), wherein the second arm (12) of the connecting element (5) is seated.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 4, characterized by the hook shaped housing (10) that is disposed on the front part of the lower surface of the shelf (4), at its ends close to the side walls (3).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a total of four supporting means (6), two at the front and two at rear parts of the opposite side walls (3) for each shelf (4) and four connecting elements (5) providing the shelf (4) to be fastened to the supporting means (6) and a transmission rod (15) that connects the second arms (12) of the connecting elements (5) at the same level to each other providing the connection between the supporting means (6) at the opposite side walls (3) and the shelf (4).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 6, characterized by a casing (14) extending along the shelf (4) at the front side of the lower surface of the shelf (4) and wherein the transmission rod (15) is disposed.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 7, characterized by the casing (14) that is in arcuated form such that an opening is formed between the casing (14) and the shelf (4), that can bear the transmission rod (15).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 7, characterized by the casing (14) that is embedded into the plastic frame surrounding the sides of the shelf (4).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by one or more than one groove (16), disposed on the supporting means (6), that slows down the movement of the shelf (4) by the extension (13) being seated therein during movement of the shelf (4) between the higher position (P2) and the lower position (P1).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a fixing extension (9) disposed at the rear end of the supporting means (6) and providing the supporting means (6) to be attached to the side wall (3).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 11, characterized by the screw-shaped fixing extension (9).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 11, characterized by the angular-shaped fixing extension (9).