Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D23/00—General constructional features
  • F25D23/06—Walls
  • F25D23/065—Details
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
  • F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
  • F25D25/024—Slidable shelves
  • F25D25/025—Drawers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B88/00—Drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture; Guides for drawers
  • A47B88/40—Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
  • A47B88/453—Actuated drawers
  • A47B88/457—Actuated drawers operated by electrically-powered actuation means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D23/00—General constructional features
  • F25D23/02—Doors; Covers
  • F25D23/021—Sliding doors
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B88/00—Drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture; Guides for drawers
  • A47B88/90—Constructional details of drawers
  • A47B2088/901—Drawers having a lifting mechanism
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2325/00—Charging, supporting or discharging the articles to be cooled, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2325/021—Shelves with several possible configurations
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
  • F25D25/04—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by conveyors

Definitions

• the invention relates to a household appliance, in particular a refrigerator or a freezer, with a body that has an opening that can be closed by a front panel.
• the household appliance also includes a storage container that can be moved and lifted out of the body through the opening.
• the publication EP 1 630 506 B1 describes a refrigerator in which a basket is slidably arranged in a drawer, with the basket being assigned a lifting device which, after the drawer has been moved out, can be driven by a drive unit to lift the basket so that products easier to add or remove.
• the lifting device comprises a frame which is mounted so as to be linearly movable on vertically aligned guide rails and on which the basket is positioned as a storage container.
• a swivel arm driven by an electric motor is provided, which at its free end carries a roller which is rotatably mounted and which rolls on an underside of the lifting frame.
• the guides for the lifting frame and also the drive unit with the swivel arm are mounted on the inside of a front panel, which can be moved out of the body on the pull-out guides mentioned.
• the disadvantage of this arrangement is that the drawer is extended manually, as a result of which the user in turn has to bend down to the drawer.
• the storage of the lifting frame on the extendable front panel means that when the drawer is pulled out, the entire weight of the storage container rests on the drawer guides via the front panel, which are accordingly loaded with a high torque when fully extended. It is an object of the present invention to provide a household appliance of the type mentioned in the introduction, in which a storage container can be moved and lifted out of a body without manual intervention being necessary for this purpose. A further object is to achieve this with a drive unit which is coupled to the storage container in a mechanically simple and robust manner and which is supported within the body and relieves the front panel.
• a household appliance according to the invention is characterized in that at least one swivel arm is arranged on the body and that at least one link guide is connected to the front panel or is formed on it, with the storage container being coupled to a free end of the swivel arm on the one hand and on the other hand in the Link guide is performed.
• the storage container can be moved out of the body and lifted via the pivoting arm in a single movement - pivoting the pivoting arm.
• the link guide couples the storage container with the front panel, which means that it moves with it and does not have to be driven separately.
• the slotted guide also assumes a guiding function for the storage container, which can thus be suitably aligned. In particular, guidance at least in sections can take place in such a way that the storage container has its loading and unloading opening pointing upwards.
• the term “storage container” refers to any arrangement that allows objects to be stored to be accommodated.
• the storage container can also be designed in several parts and include a frame-like receptacle, for example, which is coupled to the swivel arm or the slotted guide as indicated and which accommodates at least one removable container.
• the pivoting arm is mounted on the storage container in a sliding and pivoting guide.
• the sliding guide enables an at least partially horizontal movement of the storage container during the pivoting movement of the pivot arm, e.g. during ren the storage container is still in the body and is moved over an intermediate floor of the body.
• the sliding and pivoting guide is arranged in a rear and lower area of the storage container. In this way, the storage container can be lifted particularly far out of the body and particularly high above its position within the body for a given swivel arm length.
• a pivoting range of the sliding and pivoting guide is restricted in at least one pivoting direction. This can be done, for example, by hitting a stop surface of the swivel arm against a stop.
• An orientation of the storage container can also be influenced in this way. The guidance via the link guide can take place over the entire stroke of the storage container, but this does not necessarily have to be the case. Provision can also be made for the storage container to be guided through the link guide only in a lower section of its movement sequence and for the orientation of the storage container to be fixed in an upper section by the aforesaid stop.
• the slotted guide has a groove-like guide track that accommodates at least one guide means of the storage container.
• the at least one guide means can be a roller or a sliding block, for example.
• Two guide means of the storage container are preferably assigned to the link guide at a distance from one another, so that the storage container is guided in parallel when both guide means are located in the guide track.
• the guideway of the link guide is open at the top and widens in a funnel shape towards the upper end. In this way, the storage container and front panel are coupled only in sections. In this way, the link guide is sufficient to move the front panel with it, but does not restrict further upward movement of the storage container. The widened opening of the guideway ensures that the coupling is resumed when the storage container is retracted.
• swivel arms each of which acts on one side of the storage container.
• slotted guides one on each side of the storage container. Provision can also be made for the storage container to be guided only centrally with at least one swivel arm and for stability to be achieved by means of a connection on both sides to the front panel, for example also in combination with synchronization means.
• the front panel can be mounted on the body in a linearly displaceable manner by at least one pull-out guide. It can be prevented from moving back in the extended position by a slide-in safety device, e.g. with a locking device or a pawl, which is arranged inside or on the pull-out guide.
• This push-in safeguard can have a force-fitting and/or form-fitting effect and can be actuated or released either by the swivel arm or the storage container, so that a blocking effect is already activated by lifting the storage container.
• the slide-in safety device can optionally be supported by an energy store.
• the front panel as a flap that is mounted on the body such that it can be folded or pivoted.
• the domestic appliance has a drive arrangement which acts on the at least one pivot arm in order to pivot it between at least two pivot positions.
• the drive arrangement can, for example, comprise a drive unit with drive motor and gearbox.
• the gear is preferably designed to be self-locking, e.g. as a worm gear.
• the storage container then remains in the raised position without further measures.
• locking or braking devices may be provided to prevent the storage container from sinking.
• the drive unit can, for example, act via a belt on a swivel axis on which the at least one swivel arm is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner.
• Other transmissions e.g. via levers or directly via intermeshing gears or linear drives are also possible.
• the household appliance has a protective covering which is attached to the storage container and extends downwards towards the front panel at least on one side of the storage container.
• the protective covering can, for example, be designed to be telescopic and can be raised or extended with the storage container.
• the protective clothing prevents objects or body parts from entering a gap between the storage container and the front panel or between other components of the assembly, at least one of which is being moved.
• the protective cover reduces the risk of getting trapped by the moving components.
• the arrangement described with the liftable storage container can be implemented particularly advantageously in a refrigerator and/or freezer as a household appliance.
• 1 a-f shows an isometric representation of a household appliance in a first exemplary embodiment in different stages of a movement sequence of a storage container
• FIGS. 2a-f each show a sectional representation of the household appliance of FIGS. 1 a-f;
• Fig. 3a-f each a further sectional view of the household appliance
• FIG. 4 shows an isometric exploded view of components of the household appliance of the first exemplary embodiment
• Figure 6 is an isometric view of a third embodiment of a household appliance with the storage bin moved out and raised;
• FIG. 7a, b each show a sectional view with an enlarged detail of a further exemplary embodiment of a household appliance with a slide-in safeguard for the pull-out guide.
• FIGS. 1a-f show a first exemplary embodiment of a household appliance 1, each in an isometric representation, in different states of movement of a storage container 41.
• FIGS. 2a-f and 3a-f the household appliance 1 is shown in different vertical sections for the same movement states of the storage container 41 in each case.
• FIG. 4 shows components of the household appliance 1 in an isometric exploded view.
• FIGS. 1a-f or 2a-f or 3a-f each show the same state in the movement sequence. Even if in the following description one of the figures is only mentioned explicitly as an example, the corresponding description refers to the corresponding figures in all three sequences, ie FIGS. 1a-f and 2a-f and 3a-f.
• the household appliance 1 has a body 2 with side walls 21 and two or more floors 22 .
• a rear wall is not shown for reasons of clarity.
• the household appliance 1 can be a refrigerator or freezer, for example. As such, it usually has a multi-layer insulating body and technical cooling equipment. For reasons of clarity, these are not reproduced in the representations of this application.
• the representation of the body 2 is to be regarded as a purely schematic representation in this sense.
• the body 2 has forward-facing openings, one of which is closed with a front panel 31 (Fig. 1a).
• the front panel 31 is part of a front panel arrangement 3, which also includes a pull-out guide 32, on which the front panel 31 is guided and through which the front panel 31 from the body 2 is extendable.
• the front panel 31 is connected to the pull-out guide by means of lateral frame elements 33 .
• the front panel arrangement 3 thus represents a sliding element which, however, unlike a drawer, for example, does not require a base.
• the drive arrangement 5 has a drive unit 51 which includes an electric motor with a downstream gearbox.
• the drive unit 51 is activated by a control device (not visible here), which is activated by the triggering device.
• a manually operable button for example, which is arranged at a comfortable reach height on the household appliance 1, can be used as the triggering device.
• remote triggering can also take place, for example wirelessly via a radio switch coupled to the control device, which can also be a mobile terminal device, for example a mobile phone belonging to the user.
• a radio switch coupled to the control device, which can also be a mobile terminal device, for example a mobile phone belonging to the user.
• Touch or proximity sensitive switches and/or voice or gesture controlled switches can also be used.
• the storage container 41 With the front panel 31, the storage container 41 initially moves out of the body 2 essentially forwards. In further stages of the movement sequence (cf. FIG. 1c-d), the storage container 41 is lifted upwards while maintaining its orientation. In a next stage of movement, the storage container performs a combined pivoting and lifting movement, through which it is raised further and tilted forward with its opening (cf. FIG. 1e). The movement could end at this point since the storage bin 41 is already raised and easily accessible. In an alternative embodiment, it can be provided that the sequence of movements is continued and the storage container 41 is thus raised further in a pivoting movement on the one hand and brought back into its original orientation on the other (cf. FIG. 1f).
• the opening sequence shown in FIGS. This can preferably be done after a renewed request from the user hen.
• a household appliance 1 that is inadvertently not closed can be prevented.
• sensors can be used which detect the presence of a person in the area of the household appliance 1 so that it is only retracted if there is no person in the vicinity of the household appliance 1 . This prevents a storage container 41 deliberately left in the extended position from being retracted undesirably and prevents a risk of injury in the event of an unexpected retraction.
• the drive unit 51 provides a rotary motion which, in the example shown, is transmitted via a driven gear 52 and a belt 53, in particular a toothed belt, to a drive gear 54 which is connected to a pivot axis 45 in a rotationally fixed manner.
• the pivot axis 45 runs across the entire width of the body 2 and is rotatably mounted on it in pivot bearings 46 .
• the pivot bearings 46 are mounted on the outside of the body 2 shown, which is a possibility in particular if the body 2 shown has an outer paneling, not shown here.
• the pivot bearing 46 can also be arranged in a wall of the body 2 or on its inside.
• Two pivot arms 44 are coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the pivot axis 45 and are each articulated on the outside of the storage container 41 in its lower region.
• the drive gear wheel 54 is positioned approximately centrally on the pivot axis 45 .
• This can be implemented differently in alternative configurations of a pivot arrangement 4, to which the storage container 41, the pivot axis 45, the pivot bearing 46 and the pivot arms 44 can be assigned.
• the coupling of the drive arrangement 5 to the pivot axis 45 can also be implemented as an alternative.
• Drive arrangement 5 which converts a rotary movement of the output gear 52 into the pivoting movement of the pivoting arms 44 by means of the belt 53, can also be transmitted directly to the pivoting arms 44 with a push rod or by a further pivoting lever arranged on the pivoting axis 45.
• a drive unit 5 that provides a rotary movement
• a drive unit can also be used that provides a linear movement at its output member.
• the pivot axis 45 is positioned in a front and upper area of the body 2 in relation to the area in which the storage container 41 is positioned within the body 2 .
• the free end of the swivel arm 44 is mounted in a combined slide and swivel guide 42 on the storage container 41 . Because of this mounting, a pivoting movement of the pivoting arms 44 is transferred into a combined pivoting and lifting movement of the storage container 41, with a certain degree of freedom for the combination of these movements on the storage container 41 initially being available.
• at least one further guide of the storage container 41 relative to the body 2 is provided.
• a first of these further guides is given by a coupling between the storage container 41 and the front panel arrangement 3 .
• a link guide 34 is formed as part of the front panel arrangement 3 for this purpose, in which guide means 43 of the storage container 41 move in a guided manner.
• the link guide 34 can be seen clearly in FIGS. 3e and f, in which the storage container 41 reveals the view of the link guide 34.
• the slotted guide 34 offers a straight guideway for the guide means 43 in its lower area, which allows only a linear movement of the storage container 41 vertically upwards parallel to the front panel 31 level.
• the storage container 41 is guided in the link guide 34 only for a lower section of the storage container 41. From a certain height position of the layered container 41, the guide means 43 leave the link guide 34
• the track of the slotted guide 34 widens upwards to an insertion opening 35 in a funnel shape.
• a pivoting movement of the pivoting arms 44 leads to a movement of the storage container 41 and—due to the coupling of the link guide 34 and the guide means 43 - to a sliding movement of the pull-out guide 32 and the front panel 31 .
• a further guidance can consist in the storage container 41 sitting with its underside on the lower floor 22 of the body 2 and thus also being guided horizontally.
• the conversion of the pivoting movement of the pivoting arm 44 into the linear sliding movement of the storage container 41 is made possible by the corresponding degree of freedom of the sliding and pivoting bearing 42 for lifting.
• a pure pivoting movement of the storage container 41 can also be implemented if the base 22 has a correspondingly curved shape or there is sufficient free space to the base 22, so that the base 22 does not determine the movement of the storage container 41.
• the sliding and pivoting bearing 42 is positioned at a stop with regard to the sliding movement, so that the storage container 41 only follows the pivoting movement of the pivoting arm 44 from this position.
• its orientation ie its angular position with regard to a rotation about a horizontal axis, is determined by the vertical guidance of the guide means 43 in the link guide 34 .
• a pivoting movement thus takes place while maintaining the alignment of the storage container 41 in space up to the position shown in FIG. 3d.
• FIGS. 5a and b A further exemplary embodiment of a household appliance 1 is shown in FIGS. 5a and b, each in the form of a sectional drawing.
• the second exemplary embodiment essentially corresponds to the first exemplary embodiment, the description of which is hereby explicitly referred to is referred to.
• What differs in the second exemplary embodiment is in particular the configuration of the front panel arrangement 3.
• a front panel 31 is also provided in the second exemplary embodiment, which opens an opening in the body 2 through which the storage container 41 is moved out.
• the front panel 31 is not guided linearly by a drawer guide (cf. drawer guide 32 in the first exemplary embodiment), but is designed as a flap that can be swung open downwards and is pivotably fixed to the body 2 by a hinge or swivel arrangement (not shown here). is.
• a link guide 34 is formed on the front panel 31 or a common carrier on each of the sides of the storage container 41, in which the storage container 41 is guided with guide means 43 in sections of the movement sequence.
• the storage container 41 can also be guided during a pivoting movement of the front panel 31 in such a way that it is moved out of the body 2 by a pivoting movement of the pivot arms 44 and the front panel is thereby moved 31 opens.
• the storage container 41 leaves the guide along the front panel 31 and is guided in a pivoting movement into a convenient removal position, which essentially corresponds to that in FIG. 3e or f of the first exemplary embodiment.
• the storage container 41 is first lowered while maintaining its swivel position relative to the swivel arms 44 , with the guide means 43 entering the insertion opening 35 of the link guide 34 . Further pivoting moves the storage bin 41 into the body 2 and closes the front panel 31 .
• a curved design of the guide track can be provided in this, as well as in the first exemplary embodiment, in order to achieve a particularly smooth and harmonious movement sequence of both the storage container 41 and the front panel 31.
• FIG. 6 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a household appliance 1 in the form of an isometric illustration analogous to FIG. 1f.
• This essentially represents a further development of the first exemplary embodiment, in which the front screen 31 performs a linear pull-out movement as part of a sliding arrangement.
• reference is made to the first exemplary embodiment and reference is made to differences.
• a protective covering 47 is provided around at least three sides of the storage container 41 , specifically the front surface facing the user and both sides, which is designed to be telescopic and is raised and extended with the storage container 41 .
• the protective covering 47 prevents objects or body parts from entering a gap between the storage container 41 or other components of the pivoting arrangement 4 and the front panel 31 or the frame elements 33 or other components of the front panel arrangement 3. In this way, the risk of getting trapped between moving components is reduced.
• the protective covering 47 can also be raised in the form of an apron and can be provided in addition to a linear guide that is present between the front panel arrangement 3 and the storage container 41 .
• the linear guide can only extend over part of the vertical movement of the storage container 41 or can also be formed over the entire vertical movement range of the storage container 41 relative to the front panel arrangement 3 .
• the protective covering 47 can be connected to the storage container 41 or front panel arrangement 3 via bolts or elastic elements such as, for example, cables.
• the protective cover 47 can have spring elements which push it upwards as soon as the storage container 41 is lifted. When the storage container 41 is lowered, it presses down the protective cover 47 against the spring force.
• the protective device 47 itself can be designed as a linear guide which guides a vertical movement of the storage container 41 in relation to the front panel arrangement 3 .
• FIGS. 7a and 7b each show a sectional view of another household appliance 1.
• the exemplary embodiment shown here corresponds to that previously described, the description of which is hereby explicitly referred to.
• a storage container 41 is guided in such a way that it can be extended and lifted out of a body 2, with a front panel arrangement 3 being extended at the same time.
• the pull-out guide 32 is designed as a full extension, which comprises a carcass rail 321 mounted on the carcass 2, a center rail 322 mounted so as to be displaceable and a running rail 323 mounted so as to be displaceable.
• a locking lever 324 is pivotably mounted on the running rail.
• the locking lever 324 is formed as a double-sided lever, with a front lever arm of the locking lever 324 freely protruding forward toward the front panel 31 .
• the opposite rear lever arm is provided with a downwardly projecting pawl 325 at its end.
• FIG. 7a shows an extended and lowered position of the storage container 41 .
• a protruding actuator 411 located on the side of storage bin 41 depresses the front lever arm of locking lever 324 .
• the actuator 411 is bolt-shaped in the example shown.
• the locking lever is slightly angled, whereby the rear lever arm with the locking pawl 325 is raised. In this position, the pawl 325 does not affect the pull-out guide 32, so that it can be retracted unhindered.
• FIG. 7b shows an extended and (slightly) raised position of the storage container 41 .
• the actuator 411 is raised with the storage container 41 and no longer acts on the front lever arm of the locking lever 324 .
• the rear lever arm of the locking lever 324 with the locking pawl 325 lowers.
• the pawl projects past the center rail 322 to in front of the front end of the cabinet rail 321, as a result of which the pull-out guide 32 is blocked from being pushed in again. Only when the storage container 41 is essentially completely lowered, as shown in FIG. 7a, is the pawl 325 lifted again and the movement of the running rail or the middle rail relative to the body rail 321 is released again.
• the locking lever 324 can be prestressed in the locking direction with an energy accumulator, for example a spring.
• the locking lever 324 together with the actuator 411 forms a slide-in safeguard that ensures that the front panel arrangement 3 cannot be retracted when the storage container 41 is raised, which could otherwise lead to collisions of the storage container 41 with the front panel arrangement 3 when it is lowered again.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Drawers Of Furniture (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Vehicle Step Arrangements And Article Storage (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=78709401

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2020
  • 2020-11-16 DE DE102020130185.5A patent/DE102020130185A1/de active Pending
• 2021
  • 2021-11-09 KR KR1020237018194A patent/KR20230107596A/ko unknown
  • 2021-11-09 US US18/036,697 patent/US20230408180A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-11-09 JP JP2023527395A patent/JP2023548880A/ja active Pending
  • 2021-11-09 CN CN202180069062.6A patent/CN116472432A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-11-09 WO PCT/EP2021/081112 patent/WO2022101201A1/de active Application Filing
  • 2021-11-09 EP EP21810948.6A patent/EP4244555A1/de active Pending

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