EP2960605B1 - Household refrigeration device comprising a glass shelf and a shock-absorbing layer - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a household refrigerating appliance, comprising a storage room for refrigerated goods, a storage space limiting, thermally insulated inner container having two opposite side walls which bound the storage space side, and at least one arranged in the storage space between the two opposite side walls glass shelf, which has a storage surface ,

The DE 10 2009 028 426 A1 describes a refrigerator, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising a body with an inner container which forms a cold room, a door leaf for closing the cold room, at least one arranged inside the cold room shelf and / or at least one arranged on the inside of the door leaf door racks. The refrigerator has a sheet-like backing made of an elastomeric material for a door rack and / or a shelf, which has a first side for placing the pad on the door rack and / or the shelf and has a second side opposite the first side for storing refrigerated goods whose surface is structured.

WO 2013/110499 A1 discloses a refrigeration appliance according to the preamble of claim 1 with at least one refrigerated compartment bounded by walls, wherein the walls are provided on a surface facing the compartment at least locally with a heat-insulating coating. Furthermore, a shelf is disclosed which comprises a plate which may be provided on its lower and / or upper side with a heat-insulating coating.

CN 2341097 Y discloses a shelf made of safety glass, which is completely bordered at the side edges with a peripheral frame.

US 2011/0148267 A1 discloses a shelf composition having a plate component and holders. The plate component is held by the holders. The plate component comprises a peripheral frame completely bordered.

The object of the invention is to provide a household refrigeration appliance with at least one glass shelf, placed on the food to be refrigerated in a secure manner and still can be moved on it largely easily.

The object of the invention is achieved by a household refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, comprising a storage room for refrigerated goods, a storage space delimiting, thermally insulated inner container having two opposite side walls which bound the storage space side, and at least one in the storage space between the two opposite side walls arranged glass shelf having a storage surface, wherein the storage surface of the glass shelf is provided with a shock-absorbing layer having a smooth surface, wherein the shock-absorbing layer is formed by a storage surface of the glass shelf at least partially covering pad, and wherein the pad a flat center section comprising at least partially covering the shelf surface of the glass shelf and having at least one end portion which surrounds at least one side edge of the glass shelf, or wherein the layer of a fo rigid plastic body having a substantially rectangular flat central surface portion and two opposite cross-sectionally U-shaped end portions is formed, wherein the one end portion of the front edge and the other end portion engages the trailing edge of the glass shelf in a form-fitting manner.

The household refrigerator may have a body in all versions. Such a body can be formed of several individual or connected walls. The body can serve to house a hinterschäumten with insulating inner container. The inner container may for example be made of a thermoformed plastic plate and so be formed into a trough-shaped body. The inner container is open so far, so that a limited of the inner container storage space is accessible. In order to open and close the inner container or the storage room can be provided a door leaf. The door leaf may, for example, preferably be pivotally mounted on the body or directly on the inner container in order to be able to open and close the household refrigerating appliance, so that the storage space is accessible for storing and / or removing refrigerated goods.

The inner container has two opposite side walls. Between the two opposite side walls several glass shelves can be arranged at different altitudes. The glass shelves can be stored with various, the skilled person as such, not shown holders, rails, grooves, straps and / or extracts either solid or extendable in the inner container. Each glass shelf has an upwardly facing storage surface.

The glass shelf comprises a flat plate made of a glass material, which may for example have a square or rectangular shape. The top of the plate forms the shelf of the glass shelf. The support surface of the glass shelf according to the invention is provided with a shock-absorbing layer, which in turn has a smooth surface.

The glass shelf may have a rounded leading edge. In addition to the front edge and the other edges of the glass shelf can be rounded. In particular, a trailing edge of the glass shelf can be rounded. In a mounted in the inner container between the opposite side walls arrangement of the glass shelf, the front edge on the door leaf of the household refrigeration appliance and the trailing edge is arranged opposite to the glass shelf bottom of the front edge and is so far away facing away from the door leaf of the household refrigerator.

By the storage surface of the glass shelf is provided with a shock-absorbing layer having a smooth surface, on the one hand the placement of goods to be cooled on the glass shelf gently done and on the other hand, a shift of refrigerated goods, which is already stored on the glass shelf, easily done.

With the layer of the invention on the glass shelf, the original, good property of the glass, namely to have a smooth surface, at least go far or even completely maintained, so that placed on the glass shelf or on the layer refrigerated goods as before in at least approximately usual manner can be moved easily with little effort. On the other hand, the layer still provides certain shock-absorbing properties, so that the previous unpleasant hard touch of refrigerated goods to be adjusted is avoided.

The layer can be designed to be very thin, i. especially only a few tenths of a millimeter thick. In a basic function, the layer is selected in terms of its thickness and its softness or elasticity of the known per se materials, so that on the one hand direct contact of the aufzusetzenden refrigerated goods is prevented with the glass shelf and on the other hand, the selected material has a hardness below the Hardness of the glass material of the glass shelf lies. In addition, the layer should have a surface roughness which is only slightly larger or even not greater than the surface roughness of the support surface of the glass shelf.

In addition to the actual mechanical protection, the layer according to the invention can give the user the feeling that the glass shelf is protected and that in particular hard objects such as pots, plates, bowls, bowls, bottles, glasses or the like, without concern and even rude on the glass shelf and can also be moved without causing scratches or a risk of breakage. The layer according to the invention therefore protects glass shelves in refrigerators against mechanical influences.

In one embodiment, the shock-absorbing layer may be formed by a support mat completely covering the support surface of the glass shelf. The pad may for example be made of a silicone material or other elastomer or other plastic. The overlay mat may be cut from a manufactured web material, such as a wrap. However, the pad can also be made as a separate injection molded part. The support mat can be permanently bonded to the support surface of the glass shelf. Alternatively, the support mat can be detachably applied to the support surface of the glass shelf, in particular be placed only on the support surface of the glass shelf. If the support mat is made detachable from the support surface of the glass shelf, the support mat can be easily removed from the glass shelf, for example, for cleaning purposes of the support mat and / or the glass shelf.

The support mat may have a flat central portion, which covers the storage surface of the glass shelf at least partially or completely and at least one Have end portion, which surrounds at least one side edge of the glass shelf, in particular a front edge and / or a trailing edge of the glass shelf. By the support mat has at least one end portion which surrounds at least one side edge of the glass shelf, in particular a leading edge and / or a trailing edge of the glass shelf, can also be dispensed with separate protective strips that would otherwise aufzustecken on the respective edge of the glass shelf.

The layer, in particular the support mat, can be formed by a dimensionally stable plastic body having a substantially rectangular or square flat central surface section and two opposite U-shaped end sections, the one end section embracing the front edge and the other end section embracingly engaging the trailing edge of the glass shelf. By the end portions engage around the front edge and the rear edge of the glass shelf form-fitting, can also be dispensed with separate protective strips that would otherwise be aufzustecken on the respective edge of the glass shelf.

The dimensionally stable plastic body may have a certain flexibility in such a variant, so that the U-shaped end portions can be elastically bent so that they can be stripped over the side edges, in particular the leading edge or the trailing edge of the glass shelf to the dimensionally stable plastic body for example, to be able to remove from the glass shelf for cleaning purposes.

As an alternative to elastic stripping or in the case of a very rigid plastic body, the glass shelf can be removed together with the plastic body from the household refrigerator and the plastic body are then removed laterally from the glass shelf. For a new assembly, the plastic body can be pushed laterally on the removed glass shelf and then the glass shelf together with the plastic body can be used again in the household refrigerator.

The shock-absorbing layer, in particular the support mat and / or the dimensionally stable plastic body may be transparent in all embodiments, so that the transparent properties of the glass shelf at least substantially or even completely preserved. A transparency of the glass shelf is thus not or only slightly hindered by the support mat and / or the dimensionally stable plastic body in these cases. This has the consequence that an illumination of the interior is not affected in the household refrigerator.

If the domestic refrigerator has a plurality of glass shelves, then either a single glass shelf, several glass shelves or even all the glass shelves present in the household refrigerator can be equipped with a layer according to the invention, in particular a support mat and / or a dimensionally stable plastic body. With several glass shelves, it is also possible to use different variants of layers according to the invention, i. Layers, support mats and dimensionally stable plastic bodies can be combined depending on the number of glass shelves, but otherwise in any number of proportions in a household refrigerator.

The shock-absorbing layer, in particular the support mat and / or the dimensionally stable plastic body may have a handle.

The handle can be used in general to pull out a retractable stored in a household refrigeration glass shelf from an inserted position and then push back from the extended position can. By having the shock-absorbing layer, in particular the support mat and / or the dimensionally stable plastic body has a handle, separate, separately fastened handles can be omitted.

The handle may be formed by a projecting portion of the shock-absorbing layer, in particular the support mat and / or the dimensionally stable plastic body. The handle may be arranged on an underside of the support mat and / or the dimensionally stable plastic body, in particular on its front end portion. The handle can extend downwards. The handle may have a substantially cuboid shape. The handle can be designed in particular in the form of a tab.

Alternatively or additionally, the handle of a recess in the shock-absorbing layer, in particular in the support mat and / or in the dimensionally stable plastic body be formed. The recess may be a breakthrough in the layer, in the support mat and / or in the dimensionally stable plastic body.

By forming the handle from a recess in the shock-absorbing layer, in particular in the support mat and / or in the dimensionally stable plastic body, a step is created at the edge of the recess, which can be engaged by the fingers of a user's hand to pull out the glass shelf , or to be able to push in.

The support mat and / or the dimensionally stable plastic body can be several millimeters thick and not just a few tenths of a millimeter thick. A greater thickness is particularly advantageous when a handle according to the invention is used.

Various concrete embodiments are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying figures. Concrete features of these embodiments, regardless of the specific context in which they are mentioned, if appropriate also individually or in combination, represent general features of the invention.

Fig. 1

ein Haushaltskältegerät mit einem Innenbehälter und mehreren Glasfachböden;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer nicht beanspruchten Ausführungsform, bei dem auf eine Oberseite des Glasfachbodens eine stoßdämpfende, glatte Lackschicht aufgetragen ist;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer ersten Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Glasfachbodens, der mit einer Auflagematte versehen ist;

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer zweiten Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Glasfachbodens, auf den eine Auflage in Gestalt eines formstabilen Kunststoffkörpers formschlüssig aufgeschoben oder aufgespannt ist;

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer dritten Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Glasfachbodens, bei dem die Auflage mit einem Griff in Form einer Aussparung versehen ist; und

Fig. 6

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer vierten Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Glasfachbodens, bei dem die Auflage mit einem Griff in Form eines vorspringenden Abschnitts versehen ist.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a household refrigerator with an inner container and several glass shelves;

Fig. 2

a perspective view of an unclaimed embodiment in which a shock-absorbing, smooth paint layer is applied to an upper surface of the glass shelf;

Fig. 3

a perspective view of a first embodiment of a glass shelf according to the invention, which is provided with a support mat;

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a second embodiment of a glass shelf according to the invention, on which a support in the form of a dimensionally stable plastic body is positively pushed or clamped;

Fig. 5

a perspective view of a third embodiment of a glass shelf according to the invention, in which the support is provided with a handle in the form of a recess; and

Fig. 6

a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a glass shelf according to the invention, in which the support is provided with a handle in the form of a projecting portion.

An in Fig. 1 exemplified household refrigerator 1 has a body 2. The body 2 may be formed of a plurality of individual or connected walls. The body 2 holds a foam-backed with insulating inner container 3 a. The inner container 3 may for example be made of a thermoformed plastic plate and so be formed into a trough-shaped body. The inner container 3 is open, so that a limited storage space 4 of the inner container 3 is accessible. In order to open and close the inner container 3 and the storage room 4, a door leaf 5 is provided. The door leaf 5 may be preferably pivotally mounted, for example, on the body 2 or directly to the inner container 3 in order to open and close the household refrigerator 1, so that the storage room 4 is accessible for storage and / or removal of refrigerated goods.

The inner container 3 has two opposite side walls 3a, 3b. Between the two opposite side walls 3a, 3b a plurality of glass shelves 6 are arranged in different heights in the case of the illustrated embodiment. The glass shelves 6 can be mounted either fixed or extendable in the inner container 3 with a variety of known to those skilled in the art, not shown holders, rails, grooves, straps and / or extracts. Each glass shelf 6 has an upwardly facing storage surface 6a.

In the Fig. 2 is an unclaimed embodiment of a glass shelf 6 shown in isolation. The glass shelf 6 comprises a flat plate of a glass material, for example, have a square or rectangular shape can. The top of the plate forms the storage surface 6a of the glass shelf 6. The storage surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 is provided according to the invention with a shock-absorbing layer 7, which in turn has a smooth surface.

The glass shelf 6 may have a rounded front edge 8. In addition to the front edge 8 and the other edges of the glass shelf 6 may be rounded. In particular, a trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6 may be rounded. In a mounted in the inner container 3 between the opposite side walls 3a, 3b arrangement of the glass shelf 6, the front edge 8 on the door panel 5 of the household refrigerator 1 and the trailing edge 9 is disposed opposite to the glass shelf bottom of the front edge 8 and is so far from the door panel 5 of Household refrigerator 1 facing away.

In the case of the unclaimed embodiment of the glass shelf 6, the shock-absorbing layer 7 is formed by a coating layer 7a applied to the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6. The lacquer layer 7a can be applied by spraying onto the support surface 6a wet and hardened or dried there. Alternatively, the lacquer layer 7a may also be applied by a roller. In a further variant, the lacquer layer 7a can also be applied in a screen printing process. In general, the lacquer layer 7a can also be applied in other application methods known per se to the person skilled in the art.

As exemplified in the Fig. 2 1, the lacquer layer 7a can be applied to the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 with a closed surface, leaving a frame-like circumferential edge section 10 of the support surface 6a free. The edge portion 10 may have a substantially constant width. Thus, the lacquer layer 7a forms a substantially the basic shape of the glass shelf 6 following shape and may have a rectangular or square basic shape. The corners of the closed-surface lacquer layer 7a may be rounded, in particular have a circular arc-shaped contour. The lacquer layer 7a may, for example, have a layer thickness of a few tenths of a millimeter.

The lacquer layer 7a may have a flat central portion of the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 and at least one side edge of the glass shelf 6, in particular the front edge 8 and / or a trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6 at least partially or completely cover. Deviating from the illustration according to Fig. 2 Thus, the lacquer layer 7a may extend around the front edge 8 and / or a rear edge 9 of the glass shelf 6, as for example for the first embodiment in the form of a storage mat 7b as a layer 7 in FIG Fig. 3 is shown.

In the Fig. 3 the first exemplary embodiment of the glass shelf 6 is shown in isolation. The glass shelf 6 also includes a flat plate made of a glass material, which may for example have a square or rectangular shape. The top of the plate forms the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6. The storage surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 is provided according to the invention in this first embodiment with a shock-absorbing layer 7 in the form of a storage mat 7b, which has a smooth surface. In this embodiment, which is alternative to the lacquer layer 7a, the shock-absorbing layer 7 is formed by a support mat 7b which at least partially or completely covers the storage surface 6a of the glass shelf 6.

The storage mat 7b is made separately from the glass shelf 6 and can be placed as an independent part of use on the glass shelf 6 and optionally, for example, removed for cleaning purposes again. In a modified embodiment, the storage mat 7b but also be firmly connected to the glass shelf 6. This can be done, for example, by adhering the storage mat 7b to the storage surface 6a of the glass shelf 6.

In the in Fig. 3 In the embodiment shown, the support mat 7b has a flat center section which does not completely cover the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6, but instead leaves at least the edge sections 10 of the glass shelf 6 free. The support mat 7b has a in the illustrated embodiment of the Fig. 3 the front edge 8 of the glass shelf 6 encompassing end portion 11.

In the Fig. 4 a second exemplary embodiment of the glass shelf 6 is shown alone. The glass shelf 6 also includes a flat plate made of a glass material, which may for example have a square or rectangular shape. The top of the plate forms the shelf 6a of the glass shelf 6. The support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 is inventively provided in this second embodiment with a shock-absorbing layer 7 in the form of a dimensionally stable plastic body 7c, which has a smooth surface. In this embodiment, which is an alternative to the lacquer layer 7a and the support mat 7b, the shock-absorbing layer 7 is formed by a dimensionally stable plastic body 7c which at least partially or completely covers the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6.

The dimensionally stable plastic body 7c has in the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 4 a substantially rectangular or square flat central surface portion and two opposite, in cross-section U-shaped end portions 11a, 11b. The one end portion 11a engages around the front edge 8 and the other end portion 11b engages around the trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6 in a form-fitting manner.

The dimensionally stable plastic body 7c may in one embodiment have a certain flexibility, so that the U-shaped end portions 11a, 11b can be elastically bent so that they are stripped over the side edges, in particular the front edge 8 and the trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6 can to remove the dimensionally stable plastic body 7c, for example, for cleaning purposes of the glass shelf 6 can.

As an alternative to elastic stripping or, in the case of a very rigid plastic body 7c, the glass shelf 6 can be removed together with the plastic body 7c from the domestic refrigerator 1 and the plastic body 7c can be removed laterally from the glass shelf 6. For reassembly, the plastic body 7c can be slid laterally onto the removed glass shelf 6, and then the glass shelf 6 together with the plastic body 7c can be re-inserted into the household refrigerator 1.

The Fig. 5 and the Fig. 6 each show a layer 7 in the manner of a dimensionally stable plastic body 7c, as for example Fig. 4 described, which is provided with a handle 12. According to the invention, such a handle 12, as in the Fig. 5 and the Fig. 6 also be shown attached to a support mat according to the invention 7b. The shock-absorbing layer 7, in particular the support mat 7b or the dimensionally stable Plastic body 7c may therefore have a flat center section with a handle 12.

In the in Fig. 5 In the embodiment of a handle 12 shown, the handle 12 is formed by a recess 12a in the shock-absorbing layer 7, in particular in the support mat 7b or in the dimensionally stable plastic body 7c.

In the in Fig. 6 As shown in the embodiment variant of a handle 12, the handle 12 is formed by a projecting portion 12b of the shock-absorbing layer 7, in particular on the support mat 7b or on the dimensionally stable plastic body 7c.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Household refrigerator

2

corpus

3

inner container

4

storage room

5

door leaf

6

Glass shelf

6a

shelf

7

layer

7a

paint layer

7b

supporting mat

8th

leading edge

9

trailing edge

10

edge section

11,11a, 11b

end

12

Handle

12a

recess

12b

projecting section

Claims (6)

1. Household refrigeration device, having a storage space (4) for refrigerated items, a thermally insulated inner container (3) which delimits the storage space (4) and has two opposing side walls (3a, 3b) that laterally delimit the storage space (4), and at least one glass shelf (6) arranged in the storage space (4) between the two opposing side walls (3a, 3b) which has a storage area (6a), wherein the storage area (6a) of the glass shelf (6) is provided with a shock-absorbing layer (7) which has a smooth surface, characterised in that the shock-absorbing layer (7) is formed by a support mat (7b) at least partially covering the storage area (6a) of the glass shelf (6), and that the support mat (7b) has a flat central section which at least partially covers the storage area (6a) of the glass shelf (6) and has at least one end section (11) which engages around at least one lateral edge of the glass shelf (6), or that the layer (7) is formed by a dimensionally stable plastic body (7c) with an essentially rectangular level central area section and two opposing end sections (11a, 11b) that are U-shaped in cross-section, wherein the one end section (11a) engages around the front edge (8) and the other end section (11b) engages around the rear edge (9) of the glass shelf (6) in a form-fit manner.
2. Household refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterised in that the support mat (7b) has a flat central section which fully covers the storage area (6a) of the glass shelf (6) and the at least one end section (11) engages around a front edge (8) and/or a rear edge (9) of the glass shelf (6).
3. Household refrigeration device according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the dimensionally stable plastic body (7c) is formed with an essentially square level central flat section.
4. Household refrigeration device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the shock-absorbing layer (7) has a handle (12).
5. Household refrigeration device according to claim 4, characterised in that the handle (12) is formed by a projecting section (12b) of the shock-absorbing layer (7).
6. Household refrigeration device according to claim 4, characterised in that the handle (12) is formed by a cut-out (12a) in the shock-absorbing layer (7).

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