EP4073445A1

EP4073445A1 - Drawer device and cover with lifting means

Info

Publication number: EP4073445A1
Application number: EP20820915.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Daniel Bertschi
Original assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
Current assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
Priority date: 2019-12-09
Filing date: 2020-12-08
Publication date: 2022-10-19
Also published as: CN114945785A; JP7369870B2; CN114945785B; US20220299260A1; CH716912A2; JP2023504925A; WO2021116103A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a drawer device comprising a drawer body, a drawer which can be moved linearly therein, and a cover (2) which can be moved relative to the drawer and relative to the drawer body in a lifting direction (H) by means of lifting means (7) such that a controlled relative movement of the cover (2) can be carried out in the lifting direction (H) by means of the lifting means (7) and a controller and such that the drawer interior can be evacuated and/or dehumidified after the cover (2) is brought into the closed position, said drawer device allowing a reliable and reproducible movement of the cover in the lifting direction. This is achieved in that the lifting means (7) are arranged so as to run along two lateral edges of the cover (2), each lifting means having a motor (71'), a spindle, and at least one linear carriage (792'), which is connected to the spindle and can thereby be moved linearly, in a fixed manner to the cover (2), wherein a profiled lifting section (75') which is operatively connected to securing means on the drawer body can be moved by the lifting means (7) in the lifting direction (H) relative to the cover (2) in a controlled manner by means of a controller relative to the rest of the lifting means (7) and the cover (2).

Description

Drawer equipment and lid with lifting means Technical area

The present invention describes a drawer device, comprising a drawer body, a drawer that can be moved linearly therein and a cover that can be moved in a lifting direction by means of lifting means relative to the drawer and to the drawer body, so that a controlled relative movement of the cover in the lifting direction can be carried out by means of the lifting means and a controller Evacuation and / or dehumidification of a drawer interior is made possible after bringing the lid into the closed position and a lid of a drawer device with a drawer in a drawer body, with the lid closed an evacuation and / or dehumidification of the drawer interior is made possible and lifting means are arranged on or in the lid. State of the art

Refrigerators for storing food have some disadvantages, since a lot of electrical energy is constantly required in order to continuously and massively cool an interior. The interior climate of the refrigerator has received little attention so far. According to a study by the Hygiene Council, which carried out an international study called the Hygiene Report 2010, the refrigerator is more contaminated with around 11,400,000 germs per square centimeter than a toilet with around 100 pathogens per square centimeter. This report in 2010 received a lot of media coverage, but apart from recommendations to clean the refrigerator more often, no noticeable improvements have so far taken place.

For the first time in DE202017006169 a

Disclosed drawer device with a drawer and a lid, a vacuum in a pump by means of a pump Drawer interior could be generated. The drawer device comprises a drawer with walls and a drawer interior, the drawer being operatively connectable to a cover and being mounted so as to be linearly movable within a drawer body. More precise details about the drawer, the lid, possibly lifting means and evacuating means are largely left open in DE202017006169.

The closest prior art is the applicant's WO2019 / 141574. Food that does not necessarily need to be cooled can be stored in a drawer device at room temperature, with no increased energy consumption for cooling.

The interior of the drawer will be evacuated to a slight negative pressure, below atmospheric pressure, which is generated and maintained in a controlled manner. In this way, food can be kept edible or edible for longer in a simplified manner. Storage in the drawer body with drawer equipment requires less energy than the refrigerator, since the oxygen deprivation in the interior is completed after a few minutes and afterwards almost no further electricity is required. A drawer unit can be implemented without using harmful materials such as refrigerants or thermal insulation. The consumption of plastic bags with the known vacuuming by means of vacuum sealing devices can be significantly reduced and yet food can be stored for longer periods of time without any problems. Using drawer devices, food can be stored in a simpler, more environmentally friendly and more energy-efficient manner. This has a positive effect on the quality of the food and the health of the consumer. Less food would also be thrown away and the often criticized "food waste" would be reduced, since the quality of the food can be maintained for longer. The drawer body forms the outer shell in which the lid and the drawer are movably protected. Lifting means and evacuating means, which can be operated electrically via a control, are arranged in the cover or the drawer, so that evacuation is enabled in a controlled manner when the cover is placed on the drawer. Air can be pumped out of the interior of the drawer through an air duct. If sensors are arranged, the evacuation can run automatically and the ventilation before the opening of the drawer can also be recognized and automatically initiated by the control.

The lifting means known so far from WO2019 / 141574 do their job well and the cover can be lowered precisely onto the drawer in a controlled manner by means of a control and can be removed again linearly from the drawer in the lifting direction. The lifting means are electrically driven and controlled. In some cases, the closing effect in the known solution leaves something to be desired, since the cover does not seal sufficiently from the outside.

But there was also a desire to improve energy consumption and manageability, so that the drawer device met with greater customer acceptance.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention has set itself the task of improving a drawer device for evacuating and / or dehumidifying the interior of the drawer and a lid in such a way that the user-friendliness is increased when closing, the energy consumption is reduced and a reliable, reproducible movement of the lid in the stroke direction and sealing storage of the Lid on the drawer is reached.

With evacuation, there is a slight negative pressure below atmospheric pressure of 150 mbar and more, i.e. absolute pressures of Understood less than 850 mbar, which can be formed in the drawer interior or interior of containers in the drawer.

Brief description of the drawings

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are described below in connection with the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a drawer device in a drawer body with the drawer open, while

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the cover with the cover layer removed, the components which are at least partially integrated in the cover can be seen.

Figure 3a shows a perspective side view of the cover with a perspective view of the lifting means, while

Figure 3b shows a perspective view of only part of the lifting means.

FIG. 4a shows a side view of the lid and part of the drawer with the lid in the open position, that is to say lifting means in the open position, while

FIG. 4b shows a side view of the lid in the closed position, the lid covering the interior of the drawer, the lifting means interacting with a mounting bracket on the drawer body.

description

The drawer device 0 is denoted here as a whole with 0 and comprises a drawer 3 with a drawer interior R and a cover 2 that can be moved relatively in a lift direction H by means of lifting means 7 and designed to be movably mounted and evacuated and / or dehumidified.

The drawer 3 can be operatively connected to the cover 2 and is mounted within a drawer body 9 so that it can be moved linearly in a pushing movement direction S. The drawer body 9 forms the outer shell in which the cover 2 and the drawer 3 are movably and protected. The drawer 3 is mounted in a linearly movable drawer extension, which is not explained in detail, so that the drawer 3 can be brought into an open position and a closed position, the open position of the drawer 3 being shown in FIG.

The drawer interior R which can be evacuated and / or dehumidified is formed by a plurality of containers 14, the containers 14 being arranged positioned inside the drawer 3 and each having the same height but different sizes. With the drawer interior R, the interior of the container 14 can also be evacuated. The containers 14 are preferably designed as standard gastronorm containers, the interiors of which can form the entire interior of the drawer R, which can be closed and evacuated and / or dehumidified by means of a cover 2. The containers 14 are stored in the drawer 3 and can be moved along with the drawer 3, but can also be removed. The containers 14 can, however, also have other shapes and sizes.

To evacuate the interior of the drawer R, the cover 2, which is movably arranged within the drawer body 9 and is designed airtight and in a stroke direction H perpendicular to the Pushing movement direction S is mounted on the drawer 3 so that it can be lowered. The cover 2 is fastened here to the drawer body 9 via fastening means, so that a relative movement of the cover 2 to the drawer 3 is made possible. A mounting bracket 19 is selected here as the fastening means, but a web or the like molded onto the drawer body 9 could also serve as the fastening means.

On and / or partially in the cover 2, within the drawer body 9, lifting means 7 are arranged, which hold the cover 2 within the drawer body 9 so as to be movable in the lifting direction H. The lifting means 7 are operated with a control, not shown, to which, as here, a control button 104 'and a closed position sensor 29' can be connected. Only when the closed position sensor 29 ′ signals that the drawer 3 is in the closed position below the cover fixed in the pushing direction S, the lifting means 7 are activated in order to lower the cover 2 onto the drawer 3.

With the lifting means 7, the cover 2 of the drawer 3 or the containers 14 can be raised in an oppositely controlled manner and can also be lowered onto them again. The lifting means 7 are of course electrically driven and controlled by means of a controller. This results in the lifting movement of the cover 2 in the lifting direction H perpendicular to the pushing movement direction S of the drawer 3. The containers 14 within the drawer 3 of the drawer device 0 can be closed as a whole compared to conventional drawers by the user closing the drawer 3 by hand the lid 2 in the closed position of the drawer 3 lowers onto the container 14 and closes it airtight from above.

The airtight cover 2 is shown in FIG. 2. The cover is particularly preferably designed with multiple layers. In order to achieve a compact design of the cover 2, there are as many electronic ones as possible Components, channels and / or hoses and cables are integrated into the cover 2.

Evacuation means, a controller and other electrical components are shown here in several recesses A in the cover 2. Possible dehumidifying means are omitted for the sake of simplicity, since the lifting means 7 are of particular interest here.

A pump 11 ', an air hose 12' to the pump 11 'and a connection 14' are arranged here as evacuation means. In addition, a check valve 13 'is advantageous so that the evacuated volume is not undesirably ventilated. These components 11 ', 12', 13 ', 14' are arranged on the side of the cover 2 opposite the later front panel 17 or the operating button 104 '.

The interior of the drawer R or the container 14 can be evacuated by means of a pump 11 ′ leading through evacuation channels 83 ′ and holes 84 ′ in the cover 2. A controllable valve can be used to automate an evacuation of the

Drawer interiors R or the container 14 can be carried out in that the at least one evacuation channel 83 'is opened or closed in a controlled manner by means of a valve. As soon as the valve is opened, the air can be pumped out by means of the pump 11 '. For evacuation, the air pressure or the level of the negative pressure in the

Drawer interior R or the containers 14 be signaled to the control. For this purpose, at least one pressure sensor is arranged in an evacuation channel 83 '. Thus, the control can be programmed to a threshold value of the negative pressure and should the pressure sensor report an undershoot, the control can activate the pump 11 'accordingly.

Possible dehumidifying agents can be arranged in a similar manner in the cover 2 and can be operated by means of a controller. The lifting means 7 are designed here in the form of a special lifting mechanism, the components of which are controlled electromechanically by means of the controller. The lifting means 7 are at least partially integrated into the edge area of the lid 2 and interact with the drawer body 9 so that the lid 2 can be displaced relative to the drawer 3. Here, lifting means 7 are arranged integrated on both sides in the edge region of the cover 2. A one-sided arrangement would also be possible.

In FIG. 3 a, the lifting means 7 are shown, which interact with the mounting bracket 19 (not shown) as a fastening means for the drawer body 9. A motor 71 ', preferably a gear motor 71', drives at least one, preferably two, linear carriages 792 '(FIG. 3b). The motor 71 'is fastened to the cover 2 with a motor mount 72'. The lifting means 7 have an end block 73 'and a mounting block 74' on both sides. The motor 71 'transmits its power via a shaft coupling 76', which indirectly transfers power to both linear carriages 792 'by means of a bearing bush 793', with the motor 71 'stationary or locally fixed relative to the cover 2 or a cover surface.

A lifting profile 75 'is mounted between the end blocks 73' and the mounting blocks 74 ', which can be moved in the lifting direction H by the linear carriage 792' and thus indirectly by the motor 71 '. The lifting profile 75 ′ can be moved relative to the other components of the lifting means 7.

The lifting profile 75 'is here attached to the mounting bracket 19 of the drawer body 9, so that when the lifting profile 75' is held on the fastening means, the cover 2 and the remaining lifting means 7 can be moved in the direction of the drawer 3 or in the opposite direction.

The motor 71 'is operated by connection to the control and the respective position of the linear carriage 792' can be controlled by a Slide potentiometer 791 'can be read out, also automated by the control. As a result, the relative position of the cover 2 can be precisely determined and is known at all times.

The lifting profile 75 ′ here has a longitudinal slot into which the fastening means, in particular in the form of the mounting bracket 19, can be inserted. A simple attachment of the cover 2 or the lifting means 7 to the drawer body 9 is thus achieved. A simple but secure positive connection can thus be achieved between the fastening means and the lifting profile 75 '.

In Figure 3b, the lifting profile 75 ', the drawer body 9 and the cover 2 are omitted for better understanding. Several guides 77 'on which the two linear carriages 792' run can be seen. A guide 79 'of the slide potentiometer 791' is also necessary so that the position of the at least one linear carriage 792 'can be read out.

A spindle 78 'runs across the entire structure of the lifting means 7, between the two end blocks 73', or between the motor 71 'and an end block 73'. The linear carriages 792 'are operatively connected to the spindle 78', so that the movement of the motor shaft of the at least one motor 71 'causes the spindle 78' to exert force on the at least one linear carriage 792 ', so that the latter the lifting profile 75' or the remaining lifting means 7 moves in stroke direction H.

One possibility for coupling the at least one linear carriage 792 'to the lifting profile 75' is the formation of slots in the side surfaces of the lifting profile 75 'and the formation of engagement webs 800 on at least one side surface of each linear carriage 792'. Particularly preferred is the formation of engagement webs 800 on two opposite side surfaces of each linear carriage 792 '. These engagement webs 800 protrude transversely to the direction of movement of the linear carriage 792 'or the spindle 78' away. The engagement webs 800 are preferably molded onto the linear carriage 792 '. When the at least one linear carriage 792 'is linearly displaced, the engagement webs 800 push the lifting profile 75' in the lifting direction H away from the spindle 78 'or move it closer to the spindle 78'. The spindle 78 ′ and other components of the lifting means 7 ′ do not change their distance from a cover surface of the cover 2.

The angles of the directions of the at least one slot on the lifting profile 75 'and of the at least one engagement web 800 on the at least one linear carriage 792' should be between 20 ° and 60 °. The angles should be chosen to be compatible with each other.

In an open position of the cover 2, the lifting means 7 together with the cover 2 are spaced apart from the drawer 3. The cover 2 with the lifting means 7 is arranged at the level of the fastening means, here the mounting bracket 19 of the drawer body 9. The engagement webs 800 lie in the corresponding slots in the lifting profile 75 'and are inserted to the maximum.

When at least one linear carriage 792 'is deflected, according to FIG. 4b, the lifting profile 75' remains indirectly connected to the mounting bracket 19 on the drawer body 9 and the cover 2 together with the remaining components of the lifting means 7 and other components attached to the cover 2 is lowered onto the drawer 3 . This is the closed position of the cover 2. The motor 71 'moves the at least one linear carriage 792' together with the engagement webs 800 relative to the lifting profile 75 '. The angled course of the slots and the engagement webs 800 can be clearly seen. The closing speed or the force required is changed depending on the steepness. By reading the slide potentiometer 791 ', the control knows when the motor 71' can be switched off. In this position the cover 2 lies on the drawer 3 and an airtight evacuation and / or dehumidification and / or simple secure storage can be achieved.

In addition to dehumidifying means, which can be arranged inside the lid 2, the drawer interior R or the container interior 14 is optionally illuminated with blue visible light, so that in addition to preventing a layer of moisture on the food, the formation of mold is also prevented by radiation. Corresponding lighting means are arranged so as to radiate towards the interior of the drawer R and are controlled by the controller. Visible light with wavelengths between 420 and 460 nanometers is intended to be irradiated, which in the simplest case happens permanently, regardless of the opening state of the lid 2 and the drawer 3.

In order to achieve the most compact cover 2 possible, all components should be stored within the cover 2, so that such a cover 2 can also be easily combined with existing drawers 3, whereby drawer devices 0 consist of an existing drawer body 9, a drawer 3 and a cover 2 can be produced.

The cover 2 is preferably produced in a sandwich construction, different materials being assembled in different layers to form a cover 2. The cover 2 has two outer airtight cover layers and a core layer. An additional printed circuit board is arranged here, but it can also be used instead of one of the outer airtight cover layers.

The layers are glued together in a statically effective manner to form a multi-layer cover 2, which is designed to be torsion-resistant accordingly. The top layer is airtight and can be made of MDF or CFRP or glass. However, an air-impermeable plastic coating can also be arranged on an air-permeable material as the upper cover layer in order to achieve the airtightness of the upper cover layer.

In the core layer, the recesses A can be provided, in which the electrical devices, such as evacuation means and dehumidifying means are arranged. The core layer can be made from a rigid plastic foam or from a honeycomb-like plastic structure or an all-plastic layer, with the necessary recesses A having to be arranged. Channels and recesses A can be made from the material of the core layer.

On at least one side of the printed circuit board, conductor tracks to which the electrical loads are connected are arranged. The contacting of the electrical components or the components to be controlled by the controller and the controller on the circuit board is simple and uncomplicated. The circuit board is part of the sandwich-like cover 2 and is preferably installed in an oriented manner such that the conductor tracks point in the direction of the interior R of the drawer. There is no disruptive wiring inside the cover 2, which continues outside the cover 2 in the drawer body 9. The manufacture of the cover 2 is simplified and the susceptibility to errors during the lifting movement of the cover 2 is minimized.

In order to further increase the stability properties of the cover 2, a lower cover layer with the same properties as the upper cover layer can be used as part of the sandwich structure. This lower cover layer 22 ″ is attached to the circuit board on the inside of the drawer. So that the air can flow through the sandwich-like cover 2, holes must be arranged in the circuit board and the optional cover layer so that the drawer interior R or the interior of the container 14 can be pumped out. To increase the evacuation properties or the sealing properties of the lid 2, a layer of sealing profiles is arranged on the inside of the drawer, whereby the sealing against the edges of the container 14 is improved. For hygienic reasons, the sealing profiles are releasably attached and thus designed to be removable for cleaning purposes.

In a further embodiment with or without a lower cover layer and / or sealing profiles, a seal holder and a layer of air filter fleece can be attached to the surface of the cover 2 on the drawer side.

Claims

1. Drawer device (0), comprising a drawer body (9), a drawer (3) which can be moved linearly therein and a cover (3) which can be moved in a lifting direction (H) by means of lifting means (7) relative to the drawer (3) and to the drawer body (9). 2), so that a controlled relative movement of the lid (2) in the stroke direction (H) can be carried out by means of the lifting means (7) and a controller and enables evacuation and / or dehumidification of an interior of the drawer (R) after the lid (2) has been brought into the closed position is, characterized in that the lifting means (7) are arranged to run in a fixed manner on two side edges of the cover (2), each with a motor (71 '), a spindle (78') and at least one connected to the spindle (78 ') thus linearly displaceable linear carriage (792 ') fixed on the cover (2), the lifting means (7) being used to control a lifting profile (75') that is operatively connected to the fastening means on the drawer body (9) in the lifting direction (H) relative to the cover (2) by a control is movable relative to the remaining lifting means (7) and the cover (2), whereby the cover (2) can be lowered onto the drawer (3) and is arranged to be removable therefrom.

2. Drawer device (0) according to claim 1, wherein in at least one side surface of the lifting profile (75 ') at least one slot is formed, which is operatively connected to at least one engagement web (800) on a side surface of the at least one linear carriage (792') . 3. Drawer device (0) according to claim 2, wherein the at least one engagement web (800) is integrally formed on the side surface of the at least one linear carriage (792 '). 4. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding

Claims, wherein slots are recessed on opposite side surfaces on both sides of the lifting profile (75 ').

5. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the angles of the directions of the at least one slot on the lifting profile (75 ') and of the at least one engagement web (800) on the at least one linear carriage (792') are between 20 ° and 60 ° and chosen the same accordingly.

6. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein two linear carriages (792 ') are mounted on the spindle (78') so as to be linearly displaceable.

7. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one linear carriage (792 ') is arranged on a plurality of guides (77') running parallel to the spindle (78 '). 8. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding

Claims, wherein the spindle (78 ') runs across the entire structure of the lifting means (7) between an end block (73') and the motor (71 ') or a shaft coupling (76') on the cover (2).

9. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a slide potentiometer (791 ') on the spindle (78') and / or by means of a guide (79 ') at least one guide (77 ') is attached for reading out the position of the at least one linear carriage (792').

10. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting profile (75 ') with a mounting bracket

(19) is operatively connected as a fastening means on the drawer body (9).

11. Drawer device (0) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting profile (75 ') has a longitudinal slot into which the fastening means is inserted.

12. Lid (2) of a drawer device (0) with a drawer (3) in a drawer body (9), with an evacuation and / or dehumidification of the

Drawer interior (R) is made possible and lifting means (7) are arranged on or in the lid (2), characterized in that the lifting means (7) are arranged to run on two side edges of the lid (2), each with a motor (71 '), a

Spindle (78 ') and at least one linear carriage (792') connected to the spindle (78 ') and thus linearly displaceable, fixed on the cover (2), which can be operatively connected to a lifting profile (75') on the drawer body (9).

13. Lid (2) according to claim 12, wherein the lifting means (7) are arranged in a recess (A) in the lid (2).