EP4222433B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator according to claim 1 with a device body on which at least two doors arranged one above the other are pivotably mounted, which open or close an interior of the device body, wherein the doors are connected to the device body in the closed position via at least one seal, wherein the two doors are pivotably mounted via a double hinge which is fixed to the device body with a mounting plate which is connected via a plurality of movable articulated levers to an upper hinge part connected to the upper door and via a plurality of further movable articulated levers to a lower hinge part connected to the lower door, and the upper door is pivotably mounted on the device body via a support hinge which is fixed to the device body with a mounting element which is connected via a plurality of articulated levers to an upper hinge part connected to the upper door.

The EP 2 754 982 A1 discloses a refrigerator in which two doors arranged one above the other are pivotably mounted on a body. The middle hinge between the doors is designed as a double hinge, which has only one mounting element that is fixed to the body, but two movable hinge parts, so that the upper hinge part holds the upper door and the lower hinge part holds the lower door. The disadvantage of this refrigerator is that the use of the double hinge means that the gap between the upper door and the lower door is comparatively large. The relatively large volume of the double hinge leads to disadvantages with regard to the insulation of the refrigerator and also to inadequate use of the installation space.

The WO 2019/117236 A1 shows a refrigerator in which two doors are pivoted via a double hinge. Here too, the large vertical extension of the double hinge leads to a loss of storage space and increases the cost of insulation.

WO 2020/116833 discloses a refrigerator with two doors arranged one above the other, which are pivotably mounted on a device body via hinges and a double hinge.

WO 2017/089340 discloses a household appliance with a household appliance body and a door, which are pivotally connected to one another via at least one multi-joint hinge, wherein the multi-joint hinge has a first mounting plate for fastening to the household appliance body and a second mounting plate for fastening to the door. At least one second hinge part with a plurality of interconnected articulated levers is fastened to the first mounting plate.

In the EN 10 2010 027 922 A door leaf for a refrigeration appliance is disclosed in which at least one of the walls is designed as a bending contour adjoining the side wall and at least one of the door end strips has a pin which engages in the bending contour in a form-fitting manner.

Another relevant state of the art is contained in the document WO2020/135982A1 disclosed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which two doors are pivotably mounted on a device body in an improved manner.

This object is achieved with a refrigerator having the features of claim 1.

Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in independent claim 1. Further embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims. H

The refrigerator according to the invention according to claim 1 comprises at least two doors arranged one above the other, which open or close an interior of the device body. The two doors are pivotably mounted via a double hinge, which is fixed to the device body with a mounting plate, which is connected via several movable articulated levers to an upper hinge part connected to the upper door and via several further movable articulated levers to a lower hinge part connected to the lower door. As a result, pivotable mounting of both doors can be achieved by fixing the mounting plate. The term "mounting plate" does not require a plate-shaped design, and it is sufficient if the mounting plate has a plate-shaped section.

The upper door is also pivotably mounted on the device body via a support hinge, which is fixed to the device body with a mounting element, which is connected via several articulated levers to an upper hinge part connected to the upper door. According to the invention, the articulated levers of the support hinge in a vertical direction with a greater extension in height than the articulated levers of the double hinge. This means that higher weight loads can be absorbed via the support hinge. than via the hinge part of the double hinge coupled to the support hinge, which serves to guide the upper door in the lower area, but can be designed very compactly due to the rather thin design of the articulated levers in the vertical direction. As a result, the double hinge with the narrow articulated levers requires less installation space and enables improved insulation of the device body, since only a smaller area of the installation space is occupied by the double hinge.

An articulated lever of the double hinge or the support hinge is an elongated component that is articulated via at least two axes. Each articulated lever can be made in one piece or from several parts. The distance between two end axes of rotation determines the lever length of the articulated lever.

The support hinge absorbs more of the weight of the upper door than the hinge part of the double hinge that is coupled to the support hinge. The support hinge can be designed to be more stable and therefore has less deflection under weight load, so that even heavy doors are held securely. By supporting the support hinge, the hinge part of the double hinge that is coupled to the support hinge is subjected to less weight load, and the weight forces acting in the vertical direction on the hinge part of the double hinge are less than half the weight forces acting on the support hinge. This means that the upper door can absorb considerable weights, for example between 20 kg and 80 kg door weight.

In a preferred embodiment, the articulated levers of the double hinge and the articulated levers of the support hinge have the same axes of rotation and the same lever lengths. The axes of rotation are imaginary vertical lines that extend through the pivot point of each articulated lever. By providing the same axes of rotation and the same lever lengths on the support hinge and the double hinge, the upper door remains vertically aligned when pivoting and is essentially only moved horizontally. Alternatively, the axes of rotation and/or the lever lengths can also differ from one another in order to modify the pivoting movement path of the door.

The articulated levers of the double hinge are preferably at least partially plate-shaped, with at least the outer articulated levers of the support hinge, preferably all articulated levers, being U-shaped in cross section. The levers of the support hinge can be made in one piece from U-shaped bent sheets. The articulated levers of the support hinge therefore have a high degree of rigidity.

The support hinge can, for example, comprise four articulated levers and be designed as a seven-joint hinge. Each articulated lever can be bent in a U-shape so that in a closed position the articulated levers at least partially cover each other. The support hinge can be box-shaped in the closed position, while in the maximum opening position the articulated levers are arranged in an extended position relative to each other and thus the upper door is held with a gap in front of the device body.

The support hinge has a greater vertical extension than the entire double hinge. Additional functions can optionally be integrated into the support hinge, for example a spring element can be provided to pre-tension the upper door in the closing direction. Optionally, a damping device can also be provided that slows down a closing movement of the support hinge before it reaches the closed position. The damping device can be provided in or on the support hinge. However, it is also possible for the damping device to be arranged in a different position. In addition, a damping device can also be provided in the area of the double hinge. The damping device or devices comprise a linear damper with a piston or a rotary damper.

The articulated levers of the double hinge are at least partially made of two plates that lie on top of one another in certain areas. This means that the individual articulated levers can be constructed particularly flat, with the articulated levers preferably not lying against one another over the entire surface, but having a step, which increases the rigidity of the articulated lever. The thickness of the articulated levers of the double hinge in the vertical direction is preferably less than 10 mm, in particular less than 8 mm, for example between 2 mm and 7 mm. The individual articulated levers can of course have a different thickness. A cavity can be formed between the two plates of an articulated lever, into which another articulated lever protrudes, at least in a folded position.

The support hinge preferably comprises a support lever which is articulated to the mounting element and which is one of the articulated levers and has the largest Extension in the vertical direction. This support lever is preferably at least twice as thick as a lever of the double hinge that is articulated to the mounting plate and has the greatest extension in the vertical direction of the articulated levers of the double hinge. When a seven-joint hinge is formed, two articulated levers are usually pivotably connected to the mounting element or the mounting plate, so that the thicker articulated lever of the support hinge is compared with the thicker articulated lever of the double hinge.

The support hinge is preferably designed as a seven-joint hinge, which comprises four articulated levers, which ensure that the hinge part is guided relative to the mounting plate when the upper door is pivoted. Likewise, the articulated levers on the double hinge are designed as a seven-joint hinge, with each joint mechanism consisting of four articulated levers that connect the hinge part to the mounting element. Alternatively, other types of hinges can also be used for the support hinge or the double hinge, for example four-joint hinges.

To prevent interference with the support hinge or the double hinge, covers can be provided on the top and bottom of the support hinge and the double hinge, covering the gaps between the articulated levers. The covers can be made of a thin material, such as film, or a thin plate, which pivot together with the articulated levers.

In the embodiment according to the invention, the lower door of the refrigerator is connected to the appliance body in the upper area via the double hinge and in the lower area via a further support hinge. This further support hinge can be constructed in the same way as the support hinge by means of which the upper door is pivotably mounted on the appliance body. The refrigerator can comprise two doors or several doors that close off an interior.

Preferably, at least one articulated lever of the double hinge has a recess into which a spring is inserted, by means of which a hinge part of the double hinge can be pre-tensioned in the closing direction. This can support a closing movement and hold a door in the closed position with a compact design. The spring can be on a pivotable lever or a slider that can be moved along a curved guide, so that the spring does not act over the entire pivoting range, but only in a predetermined opening range of the door by means of a tightening force on the door in the closing direction.

To increase stability, an axle holder for the common axles is preferably arranged on the mounting element between the articulated levers for the upper door and the articulated levers for the lower door. The axle holder can be plate-shaped and extend parallel to the two outer walls of the mounting element. The articulated levers for the upper door and the articulated levers for the lower door are preferably pivotably held on the mounting element and the axle holder via a common axle bolt. The axle holder also makes it possible to omit the lower joint mechanism with the lower hinge part in the double hinge. This means that refrigerator models can be provided with hinges in which there are only upper doors and, for example, drawers instead of lower doors, i.e. no lower door.

To avoid loud impact noises, the upper door and the lower door are each braked by a damping device during a closing process, whereby the damping device can comprise a linear damper with a movable piston or a rotary damper, for example one with a damper housing filled with fluid.

Preferably, the appliance body of the refrigerator is integrated into a piece of furniture with side walls, whereby the side walls of the furniture protrude over the appliance body and cover at least part of the side faces of the doors from the side. This allows the unit consisting of furniture and appliance body to be arranged in a visually appealing manner. At least one door on the side facing the interior can have compartments and/or holding means for storing objects in addition to insulation. The support hinge can allow an opening angle of at least 115°, so that the interior is almost completely freely accessible from the front.

Figuren 1A und 1B

zwei Ansichten eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühlschrankes;

Figuren 2A und 2B

zwei Ansichten eines modifizierten erfindungsgemäßen Kühlschrankes;

Figuren 3A bis 3C

mehrere Ansichten des Kühlschrankes der Figuren 1 und 2 im Bereich der Stirnseite der Türen;

Figuren 4A bis 4C

mehrere Ansichten eines Tragscharniers des Kühlschrankes;

Figur 5

eine Explosionsdarstellung des Tragscharniers der Figur 4;

Figuren 6A bis 6C

mehrere Ansichten eines Doppelscharniers des Kühlschrankes in Schließposition;

Figuren 7A und 7B

zwei Ansichten des Doppelscharniers in verschiedenen Öffnungspositionen;

Figuren 8A und 8B

zwei Ansichten des Doppelscharniers mit nur einem Gelenkmechanismus in einer Öffnungsposition;

Figur 9

eine Explosionsdarstellung eines Teils des Doppelscharniers der Figur 6;

Figur 10

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines modifizierten Doppelscharniers;

Figur 11

eine Explosionsdarstellung eines Teils des Doppelscharniers der Figur 10;

Figuren 12A bis 12C

mehrere Ansichten des Doppelscharniers der Figur 10 in unterschiedlichen Positionen, und

Figuren 13A bis 13C

mehrere Ansichten eines weiteren Doppelscharniers in unterschiedlichen Positionen, und

Figuren 14A und 14B

zwei Ansichten eines Kühlschranks, der in einem Möbel integriert ist.

The invention is explained in more detail below using several embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

Figures 1A and 1B

two views of a refrigerator according to the invention;

Figures 2A and 2B

two views of a modified refrigerator according to the invention;

Figures 3A to 3C

several views of the refrigerator of the Figures 1 and 2 in the area of the front of the doors;

Figures 4A to 4C

several views of a refrigerator support hinge;

Figure 5

an exploded view of the support hinge of Figure 4;

Figures 6A to 6C

several views of a refrigerator double hinge in closed position;

Figures 7A and 7B

two views of the double hinge in different opening positions;

Figures 8A and 8B

two views of the double hinge with only one joint mechanism in one opening position;

Figure 9

an exploded view of part of the double hinge of the Figure 6 ;

Figure 10

a perspective view of a modified double hinge;

Figure 11

an exploded view of part of the double hinge of the Figure 10 ;

Figures 12A to 12C

several views of the double hinge of the Figure 10 in different positions, and

Figures 13A to 13C

several views of another double hinge in different positions, and

Figures 14A and 14B

two views of a refrigerator integrated into a piece of furniture.

A refrigerator 1 according to claim 1 comprises a device body 2 in which an upper interior 3 and a lower interior 4 are provided, which are separated from one another by a base 5. The upper interior 3 can be closed by an upper door 6, while the lower interior 4 can be closed by a lower door 7. The doors 6 and 7 can have, in addition to insulation, compartments and holding means for storing objects on the side facing the interiors 3 and 4. A seal 8 is also provided on each door 6 and 7, which in the closed position creates a seal against the interiors 3 or 4.

The upper door 6 is pivotably held on the device body 2 via an upper support hinge 10 and an upper joint mechanism on a double hinge 20. The lower door 7 is pivotably held on the upper side via a lower joint mechanism on the double hinge 20 and on the lower side via a further support hinge 10.

In the Figures 2A and 2B a modified refrigerator 1' according to claim 1 is shown, which has a device body 2' on which two upper doors 6 and two lower doors 7 are pivotably mounted. The two upper doors 6 close off an upper interior space 3' in the device body 2', and the two lower doors 7 close off a lower interior space 4'. The interior spaces 3' and 4' are divided from one another by a floor 5'. The doors 6 are each pivotably mounted at the top via a support hinge 10 and at the bottom via a double hinge 20. The lower doors 7 are pivotably mounted at the top via the double hinge 20 and at the bottom via another support hinge 10.

The refrigerators 1 or 1' can be set up as free-standing devices, but can also be installed inside a cabinet. In order to avoid a collision with the side walls of a cabinet, the support hinges 10 and the double hinge 20 are designed in such a way that a hinge part on the doors 6 and 7 is removed from the device body 2 or 2' during a pivoting movement.

In the Figures 3A to 3C the area of the support hinges 10 and the double hinge 20 is shown in detail. Each support hinge 10 is fixed to the device body 2 or 2' with a mounting element 11. The mounting element 11 is connected to a hinge part 12 on which the door 6 is held.

The double hinge 20 comprises a mounting plate 21 which is fixed to the device body 2 or 2'. The mounting plate 21 does not have to be plate-shaped, but can also have a different geometry. The mounting plate 21 is connected to an upper hinge part 30 via a joint mechanism and to a lower hinge part 40 via a further joint mechanism. The upper hinge part 30 is fixed to the door 6, while the lower hinge part 40 is fixed to the door 7.

The double hinge 20 has a height h in the vertical direction which is smaller than the height H of a support hinge 10. The double hinge 20 is thus very compact and ensures small gaps between the doors 6 and 7 as well as effective insulation.

In the Figures 4A to 4C one of the support hinges 10 is shown in different positions. The support hinge 10 is in the folded closed position according to Figure 4A is essentially box-shaped, with the hinge part 12 and the mounting element 11 arranged next to each other. If the support hinge 10 is moved in an opening direction, the hinge part 12 pivots in the opening direction via a joint mechanism, as shown in Figure 4B is shown. The mounting element 11 is connected via two articulated levers 13 and 15 to two further articulated levers 14 and 16, which in turn are arranged in an articulated manner on the hinge part 12. In order to avoid reaching into the gap between the articulated levers 13, 14, 15 and 16, a cover 17 is provided on the top and bottom, which covers the gap between the articulated levers 13 to 16. The support hinge 10 is designed as a seven-joint hinge and has four articulated levers 13 to 16, although other hinges, for example four-joint hinges, can also be used.

In Figure 5 the support hinge is shown in an exploded view. The articulated levers 13, 14, 15 and 16 are made from bent sheet steel and have a U-shaped cross-section. This ensures that the joint mechanism is highly rigid, as the two legs are connected to one another via an integrally formed base on each articulated lever 13, 14, 15 and 16.

The first articulated lever 13 is mounted on the mounting element 11 via an axis A1 and has two further axes A2 and A5. The third articulated lever 15 is articulated on the mounting element 11 on the axis A3, and an axis A4 is formed on the protruding end of the third articulated lever, which corresponds to the axis A4 on the second articulated lever 14. The second articulated lever 14 is connected to the first articulated lever 13 via the axis A2 and, on the opposite side, to the hinge part 12 via the axis A6. The fourth articulated lever 16 is connected to the first articulated lever 13 via the axis A5 and to the hinge part 12 via the axis A7. The hinge part 12 comprises an angle and a bearing element, which are connected to one another via the axes A6 and A7. This facilitates assembly. Optionally, the hinge part 12 can be designed in one piece, for example as a U-shaped component.

The axes A1 to A7 can be formed by pins which are inserted into the respective openings on the articulated levers 13 to 16.

The two covers 17 are rotatably held on the first articulated lever 13 via an axis A17. Each cover 17 comprises a slot 19 which surrounds an axis A19 which is provided on the hinge part 12. As a result, the axis A19 can be moved along the slot 19.

The support hinge 10 further comprises a height adjustment, wherein the mounting element 11 is not fixed directly to the device body 2 or 2', but via a height adjustment element 18. As a result, the mounting element 11 and thus the support hinge 10 can be adjusted in height relative to the height adjustment element 18 in order to align it with the device body 2 or 2'.

In the Figures 6A to 6C the double hinge 20 is shown in a closed position. The double hinge 20 is also box-shaped in the closed position. The two hinge parts 30 and 40 are arranged one above the other and next to the mounting plate 21. The mounting plate 21 is designed as a U-shaped bent sheet metal part. The hinge part 30 is connected to the mounting plate 21 via an upper joint mechanism and the hinge part 40 via a lower joint mechanism.

In Figures 7A and 7B the double hinge 20 is shown in different opening positions, in which both hinge parts 30 and 40 and in Figure 7A lying one above the other in a maximum opening position. The hinge parts 30 and 40 are arranged at a distance from the mounting plate 21, for example at a distance between 10 mm and 80 mm, in particular 20 mm and 50 mm.

In Figure 8A the lower hinge part 40 is arranged in a closed position, while the upper hinge part 30 is in the maximum opening position. In Figure 8B In contrast, the upper hinge part 30 is arranged in a closed position, while the lower hinge part 40 is arranged pivoted in a maximum opening position. The two hinge parts 30 and 40 can thus each be moved independently of one another via a joint mechanism and are held on the stationary mounting plate 21.

In Figure 9 the upper joint mechanism of the upper hinge part 30 of the double hinge 20 is shown, wherein the upper joint mechanism and the lower joint mechanism of the hinge part 40 are essentially identical in construction, for example mirror-imaged to a central horizontal plane.

The mounting plate 21 is U-shaped and has a plate-shaped base that can be fixed to the device body 2 or 2'. The base of the mounting plate 21 can also be fixed to the base 5 or 5' to divide the interior spaces 3 and 4.

The joint mechanism comprises four joint levers 22, 23, 24 and 25, via which the upper hinge part 30 is pivotably mounted. The first joint lever 22 is connected to the mounting plate 21 in an articulated manner via an axis A1 and has two further axes A2 and A5. The third joint lever 24 is connected to the mounting plate 21 in an articulated manner via an axis A3 and is connected at the opposite end to the second joint lever 23 in an articulated manner via an axis A4. The second joint lever 23 is coupled to the first joint lever 22 in an articulated manner via the axis A2 and is connected to the hinge part 30 in an articulated manner via an axis A6. The axis A4 is located between the axes A2 and A6. The fourth articulated lever 25 is articulated to the first articulated lever 22 via the axis A5 and is articulated to the hinge part 30 at the opposite end via an axis A7. In the assembled position of the double hinge 20, the axes A1 to A7 are mounted in the same way as the axes A1 to A7 in the support hinge 10, only offset vertically.

The double hinge 20 comprises covers 26 on the hinge mechanism with the hinge levers 22, 23, 24 and 25 on the top and bottom, each cover 26 being hingedly fixed to an axis A26 on the first hinge lever 22. The cover 26 comprises a slot 28 into which an axis A28 is inserted on the hinge part and thus guides the cover 26 during a pivoting movement of the double hinge 20.

The double hinge 20 further comprises a height adjustment, wherein the mounting plate 21 is not fixed directly to the device body 2 or 2', but via a height adjustment element 27. As a result, the mounting plate 21 can be adjusted in height relative to the height adjustment element 27 in order to align it with the device body 2 or 2'.

The articulated levers 22, 23, 24 and 25 are relatively flat compared to the U-shaped articulated levers 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the support hinge 10. The articulated levers 22, 23, 24 and 25 are preferably formed from two plates, in particular a steel sheet, which lie on top of one another at least in some areas. The articulated lever 22 comprises, for example, two plates which lie on top of one another in some areas and are spaced apart in other areas. The spaced apart areas can be arranged parallel to one another. This increases the bending stiffness despite the small thickness of the articulated lever 22. The articulated lever 23 is also formed from two plates which lie on top of one another in some areas and on which a step is formed so that the plates are arranged spaced apart from one another in some areas. The articulated levers 24 and 25 comprise two spaced apart plates, between which a spacer can optionally be provided. A height of the articulated levers 22, 23, 24 and 25 in the vertical direction is preferably in a range of less than 10 mm, in particular less than 8 mm. The height of the articulated levers 22, 23, 24 and 25 can, for example, be between 2 mm and 7 mm.

An axle holder 29 is arranged on the mounting element 21 between the upper articulated levers for the upper door and the articulated levers for the lower door. The axle holder 29 is plate-shaped and extends parallel to the two outer walls of the mounting element 21. Openings are provided in the axle holder 29 for the passage of the axles A1 and A3, on which the first and third articulated levers 22 and 24 can be pivoted.

In Figure 10 a modified double hinge 20 is shown, which has a spring 50 on each joint mechanism in order to prestress one of the doors 6 or 7 in a closing area in the closing direction. Each spring 50 can be effective, for example, in an opening area of the door 6 or 7 between the closing position up to a pivoting of the hinge part 30 or 40 up to, for example, 30°, in order to prestress the door 6 or 7 into the closing position only in this closing area.

In Figure 11 is the double hinge of the Figure 10 with a joint mechanism for the hinge part 30. A guide lever 53 is fixed to the first joint lever 22, which forms a curved guide 54 at one end. A lever 52 rests on the curved guide 54, which is mounted on a modified fourth joint lever 25' so that it can rotate about an axis A52. A tension lever 51 is provided on the fourth joint lever 25', on which a spring 50 is accommodated in a recess. In the mounted position, the spring 50 also lies in a recess in the fourth joint lever 25'. The tension lever 51 is mounted so that it can rotate about the axis A7 of the fourth joint lever 25', and the spring 50 can be compressed via the lever 52.

In Figure 12A the double hinge is shown with the spring 50 in the maximum opening position of the hinge part 30. The spring 50 is in the tensioned compressed position and the lever 52 presses the spring 50 into the tension lever 51. A mandrel or another guide element can be provided in the tension lever 51 in order to secure the spring 50 against displacement. If the double hinge 30 is moved in the closing direction, as shown in Figure 12B As shown, the spring 50 remains in the tensioned position and the lever 52 initially does not pivot relative to the tensioning lever 51. In this pivoting range, the spring 50 is ineffective apart from the frictional forces, and the cam guide 54 presses the lever 52 towards the spring 50, whereby the pivoting movement is not supported or braked due to the constant length of the spring 50.

If the double hinge with the hinge part 30 moves from the Figure 12B shown position in the Figure 12C shown closed position, an area of the cam guide 54 comes into contact with the lever 52, which allows the lever 52 to pivot so that the spring 50 can relax and pivots the lever 52. In the closed position, the spring 50, which is designed as a compression spring, has a greater length than in the middle opening position of the Figure 12B so that the closing process of the double hinge is supported in the closing area.

In the Figures 10 to 12 the spring 50 is coupled to the pivoted lever 52. In the Figures 13A to 13C a modified embodiment of a double hinge 20 is shown, in which a spring 50 is inserted into a recess of a joint lever 60 and acts on a movable slide 61. The spring 50 is again designed as a compression spring and presses the slide 61 against a curved guide 62 which is formed on the hinge part 30 or a component fixed to the hinge part 30.

In the closed position of the Figure 13A the slide 61 is arranged at a distance from the articulated lever 60, and when opening the slide 61 is displaced by the curved guide 62 towards the articulated lever 60, so that the spring 50 is compressed against the spring force. In this compressed and tensioned position, the spring 50 can be moved from the middle opening position according to Figure 13B to a maximum opening position according to Figure 13C be moved without the spring 50 changing in length. The slide 61 is thereby moved along the curved guide 62.

In an alternative embodiment, the curved guides 54 and 62 can also be designed differently, so that the hinge part 30, 40 is pre-tensioned in the closing direction over the entire path. It is also possible for the curved guides to automatically move the hinge part 30, 40 into an open position from a predetermined opening angle.

Only during a closing movement can the spring 50 be in the opening area between Figure 13B and 13A relax again and thus pre-tension door 6 or 7 into the closed position.

In addition to the spring element, a damper can also be provided on the support hinge 10 and/or the double hinge 20, which slows down a closing movement in order to avoid loud impact noises.

In the Figures 14A and 14B a refrigerator 1, 1' according to claim 1 is shown in a closed and open door position, in which the appliance body 2, 2' is integrated in a piece of furniture 70. The piece of furniture has two side walls 71 which protrude beyond the appliance body 2, 2' at the front, so that the front side of the doors 6 and 7 in the closed position is flush with the narrow side of the side walls 71. In the closed state, the lateral front side 9 of the doors 6 and 7 is thus covered by the side walls 71 from a side view. In the fully opened door position, the narrow side of the side wall 71 and the lateral front side 9 of the door 6, 7 are at an angle to each other. In the Figures 14A and 14B the refrigerator 1, 1' has two opposite doors 6 and 7. The refrigerator 1, 1' can also have only one door 6 and one door 7.

The arrangement with a support hinge 10 and a double hinge 20 allows high door weights to be achieved, so that the doors 6 and 7 can also have different or combined additional functions such as an ice cube area, a drinks flap, interior organization or a touch screen.

In addition to a damping device for the closing process of the door 6,7, an electronic opening aid can also be provided on the refrigerator 1, 1', which supports the operator in opening the door 6,7 or at least partially opens the door 6,7.

List of reference symbols

1, 1'

Refrigerator

2, 2'

Device body

3, 3'

inner space

4, 4'

inner space

5, 5'

Floor

6

door

7

door

8th

poetry

9

Front side

10

Support hinge

11

Mounting element

12

Hinge part

13

Articulated lever

14

Articulated lever

15

Articulated lever

16

Articulated lever

17

cover

18

Height adjustment element

19

slot

20

Double hinge

21

Mounting plate

22

Articulated lever

23

Articulated lever

24

Articulated lever

25, 25'

Articulated lever

26

cover

27

Height adjustment element

28

slot

29

Axle holder

30

Hinge part

40

Hinge part

50

Feather

51

Clamping lever

52

lever

53

Guide lever

54

Curve guidance

60

Articulated lever

61

Slider

62

Curve guidance

70

Furniture

71

Side wall

H

Height

H

Height

A1

axis

A2

axis

A3

axis

A4

axis

A5

axis

A6

axis

A7

axis

A17

axis

A19

axis

A26

axis

A28

axis

A52

axis

Claims (18)

1. Refrigerator (1, 1') with an appliance body (2, 2'), on which at least two doors (6, 7) arranged one above the other are pivotably mounted, which open or close an interior space (3, 4) of the appliance body (2, 2'),

   a) wherein the doors (6, 7) are connected to the appliance body (2, 2') in the closed position via at least one seal (8),

   b) wherein the two doors (6, 7) are pivotably mounted via a double hinge (20) which is fixed to the appliance body (2, 2') with a mounting plate (21) which is connected via a plurality of movable joint levers (22, 23, 24, 25) to an upper hinge part (30) connected to the upper door (6) and via a plurality of further movable joint levers to a lower hinge part (40) connected to the lower door (7),

   c) and the upper door (6) is pivotably mounted on the appliance body (2, 2') via a support hinge (10) which is fixed to the appliance body (2, 2') with a mounting element (11) which is connected to an upper hinge part (12) connected to the upper door (6) with a plurality of joint levers (13, 14, 15, 16),

   d) and the lower door (7) is pivotably mounted on the appliance body (2, 2') via the double hinge (20) and a further support hinge (10)

   characterized in that the joint levers (13, 14, 15, 16) of the support hinge (10) have a greater vertical extension than the joint levers (22, 23, 24, 25) of the double hinge (20).
2. Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the support hinge (10) absorbs more weight forces of the upper door (6) than the part of the double hinge (20) connected to the upper door (6).
3. Refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the joint levers (22, 23, 24, 25) of the double hinge (20) and the joint levers (13, 14, 15, 16) of the support hinge (10) have the same axes of rotation and the same lever lengths.
4. Refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the joint levers (22, 23, 24, 25) of the double hinge (20) and the joint levers (13, 14, 15, 16) of the support hinge (10) have unequal axes of rotation and unequal lever lengths.
5. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the joint levers (22, 23, 24, 25) of the double hinge (20) are at least partially plate-shaped and at least the outer joint levers (13, 16) of the support hinge (10) are formed as levers which are U-shaped in cross-section.
6. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support hinge (10) has a greater height in the vertical direction than the double hinge (20).
7. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the joint levers (22, 23, 24, 25) of the double hinge (20) are formed at least partially from at least two plates which lie one on top of the other in certain areas.
8. Refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that the at least two plates form a cavity into which a further joint lever (22, 23, 24, 25) projects.
9. A refrigerator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a support lever (13) pivotably connected to the mounting element (11) of the pivot levers (13, 14, 15, 16) of the support hinge (10) is at least twice as thick in the vertical direction as a lever (22) of the double hinge (20) that is pivotably connected to the mounting plate (21).
10. A refrigerator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plate-shaped cover (17, 26) for covering gaps between the joint levers (13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25) is provided on an upper side and a lower side of the support hinge (10) and/or the double hinge (20).
11. A refrigerator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the joint levers (22, 23, 24, 25) on the double hinge (20) form an articulated lever mechanism with seven joints.
12. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one joint lever (51, 60) of the double hinge (20) has a recess into which a spring (50) is inserted, by means of which a hinge part (30, 40) can be pretensioned in the closing direction.
13. A refrigerator according to claim 12, characterized in that the spring (50) acts on a pivotable lever (52) or a pusher (61) which is movable along a curve guide (54, 62).
14. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an axis holder (29) for the common axes (A3, A1) is arranged on the mounting element (21) between the joint levers (22, 24) for the upper door (6) and the joint levers (22, 24) for the lower door (7).
15. Refrigerator according to claim 14, characterized in that the joint levers (22, 24) for the upper door (6) and the joint levers (22, 24) for the lower door (7) are held on the mounting element (21) and the axis holder (29) via a common axis bolt.
16. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper door (6) and the lower door (7) are braked by a damping device during a closing process, the damping device comprising a linear damper with a piston or a rotary damper, the damper being filled with a fluid.
17. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the appliance body (2, 2') is integrated in a piece of furniture (70) with side walls (71), the side walls (71) of the piece of furniture (70) projecting beyond the appliance body (2, 2') and covering at least part of the lateral end faces (9) of the doors (6, 7) from the side.
18. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one door (6, 7) on the side facing the interior space (3, 4) has, in addition to insulation, compartments and/or holding means for storing objects and the support hinge (10) allows an opening angle of at least 115° so that the interior space (3, 4) is at least almost completely freely accessible.

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