EP3887736A1

EP3887736A1 - A cooling device comprising a storage container

Info

Publication number: EP3887736A1
Application number: EP19798582.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mehmet Ercan KAYMAK; Gizem ERDAL; Aysegul OZCELIK; Faik Emre Ozyuksel; Mehmet Bugra CICEK
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2018-11-30
Filing date: 2019-11-01
Publication date: 2021-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-01
Also published as: EP3887736B1; TR201818281A2; WO2020108919A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) comprising a body (2) wherein the items to be cooled are placed; a door (3) which provides access into the body (2), and a storage container (4) wherein the items to be stored are placed, and the storage container (4) comprises a first receptacle (5) which forms the base of the storage container (4), a second receptacle (6) on the first receptacle (5) which moves in the vertical axis telescopically with respect to the first receptacle (5), a cover (7) which covers the second receptacle (6) and which forms the ceiling of the storage container (4), and a separator (8) which is provided between the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (6) and which partially separates the first and second receptacles (5 and 6) from each other. By means of the separator (8), plants with long bodies such as parsley, mint, etc. are enabled to stand upright and the user is enabled to access the leaves reaching into the second receptacle (6) more easily and more efficiently.

Description

A COOLING DEVICE COMPRISING A STORAGE CONTAINER

The present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a storage container for storing fresh herbaceous plants and greens.
The lifetime of greens such as parsley, mint, dill, etc. are short due to inconvenient storage conditions in the cooling device. The humidity of fresh plants decrease in the course of time, which causes the plants to become unusable.
In the state o the art, various plant compartments are designed. Said compartments provide various solutions for maintaining the humidity of the plants.
In the state of the art Japanese Patent Application No. JP2005030761, a photoradiation device is disclosed, which is disposed in the refrigerator for maintaining the freshness of the greens.
Another state of the art embodiment is explained in the Chinese Patent Application No. CN107062741. In this embodiment, it is disclosed that an ultraviolet lamp is disposed into the cooling device for maintaining the freshness of fresh fruits and vegetables placed into the cooling device for a longer time.
Another state of the art embodiment is explained in the Japanese Patent Application No. JP2005164131. In this embodiment, a cooling device is disclosed, comprising a lamp which is activated with the placement of the crisper.
In the state of the art International Patent Application No. WO2007125122, a cooling device is disclosed, wherein a light source which emits the light with the wavelength necessary for maintaining the nutritional values of fruits and vegetables is used.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device comprising a storage container for storing fresh plants and greens.
The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a storage container having a first receptacle and a second receptacle which can be nested one inside the other so as to move telescopically. By means of the telescopic storage container, the leaves of fresh, herbaceous plants with varying lengths can be accessed in an easy and simple manner.
The storage container increases the lifetime of the plant up to four weeks. The storage container maintains the humidity, crispness, color and freshness of the plants stored therein.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the second receptacle is produced from a transparent material. Thus, the leaves of the plant stored in the storage container can be exhibited such that the plant is used as an aesthetic object in the cooling device.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the storage container comprises a separator between the first receptacle and the second receptacle. By means of the separator, plants with long bodies such as parsley, mint, etc. are enabled to stand upright and the user is enabled to access the leaves reaching into the second receptacle more easily and more efficiently.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the separator comprises a ring-shaped frame and a plurality of holders which extend from the frame towards the center of the separator and which are arranged at certain intervals along the frame. In this embodiment, the holders extend so as to leave the center of the separator empty, and a gap is provided between two neighboring holders. The bodies placed into the first receptacle of the plants placed into the storage container pass through said holders to reach the second receptacle, and the leaves thereof extend into the second receptacle. The holders support the body of the plant placed into the first receptacle so as to enable the same to stand almost upright, and the user is allowed to easily take the leaves in the second receptacle in the desired amount.
The storage container of the present invention can be taken out of the cooling device and carried independently of the cooling device. Moreover, the storage container provides easy access to plants with short bodies. Since the parts of the storage container can be detached from each other, it becomes very easy to clean and store the storage container.
A cooling device realized in order to attain the aim the object of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 - is the front view of a cooling device.
Figure 2 - is the view of a storage container.
Figure 3 - is the front cross-sectional perspective view of the storage container.
Figure 4 - is the front cross-sectional perspective view of the storage container together with the separator.
Figure 5 – is the rear view of the storage container.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Cooling device
Body
Door
Storage container
First receptacle
Second receptacle
Cover
Separator
Frame
Holder
Rail
Slide
Housing
Hinge
Connection mechanism
Protrusion
Stopper

The cooling device (1) comprises a body (2) wherein the items to be cooled are placed; a door (3) which provides access into the body (2), and a storage container (4) wherein the items to be stored are placed, and the storage container (4) comprises a first receptacle (5) which forms the base of the storage container (4), a second receptacle (6) on the first receptacle (5) which moves in the vertical axis telescopically with respect to the first receptacle (5), a cover (7) which covers the second receptacle (6) and which forms the ceiling of the storage container (4), and a separator (8) which is provided between the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (6) and which partially separates the first and second receptacles (5 and 6) from each other. By means of the separator (8), plants with long bodies such as parsley, mint, etc. are enabled to stand upright and the user is enabled to access the leaves reaching into the second receptacle (6) more easily and more efficiently (Figure 1, Figure 4).
In the embodiment of the present invention, the length of the storage container (4) can be at least as much as the length of the first receptacle (5) and at most as much as the total of the lengths of the first and second receptacles (5 and 6). Thus, the user is enabled to easily and efficiently access the long and short greens (Figure 2).
In the embodiment of the present invention, the storage container (4) comprises at least one rail (11) which is provided in the vertical axis on the inner wall of the second receptacle (6) and at least one slide (12) which is provided on the side wall of the first receptacle (5) and which is fitted into the rail (11). The storage container (4) further comprises at least one housing (13) which is provided on the rail (11), which extends in the horizontal axis to the right or left and wherein the slide (12) moving along the rail (11) is seated after leaving the slide (11). By means of said housings (13), the second receptacle (6) is enabled to be kept fixed at the desired level depending on the position of the housing (13). In other words, the length of the storage container (4) can be changed. In this embodiment of the present invention, the housing (13) is arranged at the upper end of the rail (11). Said housing (13) enables the slide (12) to be seated therein and the second receptacle (6) to be fixed at that position. Thus, a storage container (4) with dimensions suitable for storing greens with varying heights is realized (Figure 3).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage container (4) comprises, on the separator (8), a ring-shaped frame (9) and a plurality of holders (10) which extend from the frame (9) towards the center of the separator (8) and which are arranged at certain intervals along the frame (9). In this embodiment, the holders (10) extend towards the center of the separator (8) so as to leave the center of the separator (8) empty, and a gap is provided between two neighboring holders (10). The bodies placed into the first receptacle (5) of the plants placed into the storage container (4) pass through said holders (10) to reach the second receptacle (6), and the leaves thereof extend into the second receptacle (6). The holders (10) support the body of the plant placed into the first receptacle (5) so as to enable the same to stand almost upright, and the user is allowed to easily take the leaves in the second receptacle (6) in the desired amount (Figure 4).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the second receptacle (6) is produced from a transparent material. Thus, the freshness of the plants extending into the second receptacle (6) can be checked while providing an aesthetic appearance in the cooling device (1).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the storage container (4) comprises a connection mechanism (15) which prevents the second receptacle (6) from being dislodged and detached from the first receptacle (5) and which keeps the first and second receptacles (5 and 6) connected. In this embodiment, the storage container (4) comprises, on the connection mechanism (15), a step-formed protrusion (16) which extends outwards from the upper edge of the first receptacle (5) and a stopper (17) which extends along the lower edge of the second receptacle (6), which engages with the lower side of the protrusion (16) and which bears against the protrusion (16) when the second receptacle (6) is at the uppermost position.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage container (4) comprises a hinge (14) which provides the connection for completely opening and closing the cover (7) onto the second receptacle (6). By means of the hinge (14), the cover (7) is prevented from being detached from the storage container (4) and getting lost (Figure 5).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the storage container (4) is mounted onto the door (3) by means of fixing members. In this embodiment, the storage container (4) is mounted to the door (3) so as to be seated on the door (3) shelf.
First the cover (7) is opened while placing the greens into the storage container (4) which is fixed to the door (3) of the cooling device (1) by means of the fixing members. The storage container (4) is preferably filled with hydrogel or water, and the bunch of green is placed into the first receptacle (5). By means of the separator (8), the bunches are enabled to stand upright. The second receptacle (6) is moved downwards to reach the short greens. In this case, the slide (12) moves in the rail (11). When the desired level is reached, the second receptacle (6) is turned right or left, thus fitting the slide (12) into the housing (13). The storage container (4) is at the desired length when the slide (12) is seated into the housing (13), and the user can easily reach the greens. When long greens are desired to be placed into the storage container (4), the second receptacle (6) is this time pulled upwards so as to move the storage container (4) to the desired length.
By means of the present invention, short and long greens can be stored in a storage container (4). By means of the adjustable length of the storage container (4), the user can efficiently reach the greens. By means of the possibility of filling in water or hydrogel into the storage container, the freshness of the greens can be maintained for a longer time. Moreover, the aesthetic appearance of the cooling device is also improved by storing greens inside the cooling device (1). Thus, the aesthetic and hygiene perception of the user is increased. Furthermore, the storage container (4) of the present invention can be taken out of the cooling device (1) and carried independently of the cooling device (1). Moreover, the storage container (4) provides easy access to plants with short bodies. Since the parts of the storage container (4) can be detached from each other, it becomes very easy to clean and store the storage container (4).

Claims

A cooling device (1) comprising a body (2) wherein the items to be cooled are placed; a door (3) which provides access into the body (2), and a storage container (4) wherein the items to be stored are placed, characterized by the storage container (4) having a first receptacle (5) which forms the base of the storage container (4), a second receptacle (6) on the first receptacle (5) which moves in the vertical axis telescopically with respect to the first receptacle (5), a cover (7) which covers the second receptacle (6) and which forms the ceiling of the storage container (4), and a separator (8) which is provided between the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (6) and which partially separates the first and second receptacles (5 and 6) from each other.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the storage container (4) comprising at least one rail (11) which is provided in the vertical axis on the inner wall of the second receptacle (6) and at least one slide (12) which is provided on the side wall of the first receptacle (5) and which is fitted into the rail (11).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the storage container (4) comprising at least one housing (13) which is provided on the rail (11), which extends in the horizontal axis to the right or left and wherein the slide (12) moving along the rail (11) is seated after leaving the slide (11).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by the housing (13) which is arranged at the upper end of the rail (11).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the storage container (4) comprising, on the separator (8), a ring-shaped frame (9) and a plurality of holders (10) which extend from the frame (9) towards the center of the separator (8) and which are arranged at certain intervals along the frame (9).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the second receptacle (6) which is produced from transparent material.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the storage container (4) comprising a connection mechanism (15) which prevents the second receptacle (6) from being dislodged and detached from the first receptacle (5) and which keeps the first and second receptacles (5 and 6) connected.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 7, characterized by the storage container (4) comprising, on the connection mechanism (15), a step-formed protrusion (16) which extends outwards from the upper edge of the first receptacle (5) and a stopper (17) which extends along the lower edge of the second receptacle (6), which engages with the lower side of the protrusion (16) and which bears against the protrusion (16) when the second receptacle (6) is at the uppermost position.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the storage container (4) comprising a hinge (14) which provides the connection for completely opening and closing the cover (7) onto the second receptacle (6).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the storage container (4) which is mounted onto the door (3) by means of fixing members.