IE862243L

IE862243L - Extruded plastics profile for refrigerators

Info

Publication number: IE862243L
Application number: IE862243A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Hakemann Fritz
Priority date: 1985-08-21
Filing date: 1986-08-21
Publication date: 1987-02-21
Also published as: DE3529852A1; IE57303B1; EP0213310B1; EP0213310A3; DE3680727D1; ES2000968A6; EP0213310A2; ATE66064T1

Abstract

An extruded profile of synthetic material for refrigerators, refrigerating compartments, coolboxes or the like, is characterised in that it has two leg regions arranged at right angles to one another and in that one leg region has a groove which is open to the outside of the leg region. Preferably, the other leg region has at its free end a rearwardly open recess for a wall panel of the refrigerator or the like. <IMAGE>

Description

h ? J 11 .i The Invention relates to an extruded plastic profile for refrigerators, freezer compartments, ice-boxes or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide an extruded plastic profile for refrigerators, freezer compartments, ice-boxes or similar refrigerating con-5 tainers, which is suitable for achieving a simplified design for the front of these containers or the like and in particular is constituted in such a way that it is able to collect any water which forms.

This object is attained according to the invention by a profile having two leg regions arranged at right angles to each other, the first leg region having a channel open towards the external side of the first leg region in the direction of the second leg.

This profile has the advantage, on the one hand, that the channel formed can be used as a water-collection channel, which Is regularly required In the case of the refrigerating containers of the type described, and thus no longer 15 has to be formed in the sheet-steel regions of the containers. This simplifies and reduces the cost of manufacturing these containers, since with a standard profile it Is possible to combine the design of the front and of the water channels of the refrigerating containers. Another advantage of having this channel formed in the profile is that the channel, for example when the profile 20 is fitted vertically or when the profile extends horizontally in the upper region of the containers, can be used as a channel for receiving cables and lines, thereby making corresponding structural arrangements on the refrigerating containers unnecessary and hence further reducing manufacturing costs. If the profiles are not mitred together, but are arranged In such a way that a 25 lower horizontal profile extends as far as a front external wall of the container, then the ends of the profile can be provided with an end cap or can be connected to a water drainage pipe, as required. Correspondingly, an upper horizontal profile can be arranged so as to lead out of the container housing at the front, and the cable and lines can be introduced into the housing at 30 this point, so that the housing does not need to have any special openings for the cables or lines. These simplifications which have been described are therefore also advantageous, since, on the one hand, the walls of the containers are constructed as double walls for the purpose of good insulation and on the other hand, any Interruption in these walls gives rise to the risk of loss of refrigerating capacity.

According to a further development of the invention, the other leg region of the profile has at Its free end a receptacle open towards the rear for a sheet-metal wall of the refrigerator or the like. The structural arrangement of the profile can thus be effected in such a way that the sheet-metal outer wall and the inner wall of the refrigerator or the like are Inserted into the profile, in such a way that the outer wall Is Introduced Into the receptacle -open towards the rear - of the profile and the inner wall is bent inwards so as to be introduced into the channel of the profile.

According to another further development of the invention, the second leg region has, in the vicinity of the corner of the profile, a groove section which opens outwards and a box profile section adjacent thereto. According to other further developments of the Invention, a seal together with a stopping strip is arranged inside the groove section. If the front wall of a refrigerator or the like is assembled using horizontally and vertically arranged profiles, then the groove sections form a groove area surrounding a compartment opening and the surrounding seal inserted into the groove sections forms a sealing stop for a door which is to be arranged on the front wall and which closes the compartment opening. In particular, a tongue of the stopping strip can then project into the groove section and a further tongue can partially cover the groove section and be orientated parallel to the front surface of the box profile in such a way that the associated door, which is provided with a magnetic strip, can abut against the further tongue.

According to further developments of the invention, the first leg region has a flat front surface between the corner of the profile and the channel, and the box profile of the second leg region correspondingly has a flat front surface. These flat external surface sections make , the profile even better suited as a constructional element for forming the front of the refrigerating containers. 4 Moreover, the design can be effected In such a way that at least one web Is arranged In the corner region of the profile between the box profile and the channel, this web strengthening the corner region. Cavities can also be defined by the webs. These cavities improve the heat-insulating properties of 5 the profile considerably. 1! Examples of embodiment and applications of the Invention, which give rise to further inventive features, are Illustrated In the drawing, In which I' Fig. 1 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale through a profile constructed according to the invention; 1° Fig. 2 shows an exanfple of use of the profile according to Fig. 1 in a refrigerator housing, and Fig. 3 is a section along the line III—III of Fig. 2.

The extruded plastic profile 1 shown in Fig. 1 has two leg regions 2 and 3 arranged at right angles to each other.

The leg region 2 has a web section 4 which is adjacent to the corner of the profile and next to which a channel 5 Is located. The web section 4 has a flat front surface 3 and its free longitudinal edge passes into a nose 8a protruding towards the rear. The channel wall 11 runs from the rear side of the web section 4, slightly offset to one side with respect to the nose 8a, in cir-20 cular fashion so that Its free end lies in the plane of the web section 4. At this free end of the channel wall 11 there is formed a flange 12 which is located parallel to the front surface 8 and which protrudes on both sides ot the channel wall 11 and has a nose 12a which protrudes towards the rear, corresponding to the nose 8a. From the rear side of the web section 4, about 25 half-way along the width thereof, a web 9 extends at right angles towards the rear, the free end of which merges with a web 10 which extends at an angle towards the channel wall 11. The web section 4, the webs 9, 10 and the " channel wall 11 thus enclose a cavity 32. , v The leg region 3 forming the other leg of the profile 1 has a groove 30 section 6 which opens outwards and is adjacent to the corner of the profile, and a box profile section 7 which has a box profile 16 and is adjacent thereto. The groove section 6 is formed first of all by a groove web 14 which extends inwards from the corner of the profile and which has an inclined portion 14a adjacent to the corner of the profile and a rear-engaging portion 14b which widens the rear part of the groove section 6 and merges with the web 9. The web section 4, the groove web 14 with its portions 14a and 14b and the web 9 5 surround a cavity 33. The other side of the groove section 6 is formed by one front surface of the box profile 16 which is Joined to the web. The box profile 16 has a rectangular cross-section and a front surface 17 which is flat and forms an angular surface of the profile 1. The box profile 16 surrounds a cavity 34. The web 18 forming the free end face of the box profile 16 is extended so as to form a web projection 19 projecting beyond the box profile towards the rear. The front surface 17 of the box profile 16 is extended beyond the free end face of the box profile 16 and has, on its free edge, a flange 20 which extends towards the rear, parallel to the web 18.

A seal 13 together with a stopping strip 15 is arranged Inside the groove 15 section 6. The design is such that one tongue of the stopping strip 15 projects into the groove section 6 and abuts there against the box profile 16 and a further tongue partially covers the groove section 6 and is orientated there parallel to the front surface 17 of the box profile 16.

Pigs. 2 and 3 show the construction of a wall-mounted refrigerator using 20 profile sections which are constructed in accordance with the profile shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows the left-hand area of such a refrigerator housing 22 which can extend, to the right, over the length of several compartments. The front of the refrigerator housing shown has, at the top and the bottom, one longitudinally extending profile section 25 and 26 respectively, which, together 2 5 with transverse profile sections 27, 28 and 29 extending transversely, form a frame which has several compartment openings. Fastening screws are designated 31.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of this assembly. The main body of the refrigerator housing consists of two walls which are bent angularly and extend at a 30 distance from each other and parallel to each other, an outer wall 23 and an inner wall 24. In the example of embodiment, these walls are made of stainless steel sheet. The cavity between the walls is fitted with insulating foam. Transverse walls (not shown) are arranged at the front ends and between the compartment openings. The upper free edge and the lower free edge of the 8 outer wall 23 are inserted into the upper longitudinal profile section 25 and into the lower longitudinal profile section 26, in each case into the interspace which is located between the web 18 and the flange 20 (Fig. 1). Furthermore, the free edges of the inner wall 24 are bent outwards so as to form flanges 5 30 which project into the channel 5 of the two profiles 25 and 26. Hence it is ensured that water forming inside the freezer compartments is able to run into the channel 5 of the lower longitudinal profile section 26. The refrigerator housing has a water-drainage device (not shown) which is connected at a suitable point to the channel 5 of the profile section 26.

In the example of embodiment, the channel 5 of the upper longitudinal profile section 25 can be used, for example, to accommodate electrical cables. Since the channelCs] 5 of the transverse profile sections 27, 28, 29, at the points where they come up against the longitudinal profile sections 25, 26, merge openly with the channels 5 of the longitudinal profile sections, cables 15 running inside the channel 5 of the longitudinal profile section 25 can, if necessary, also be introduced without difficulty into the channels 5 of the transverse profile sections 27, 28, 29.

The doors which close off the container area are not shown In Figs. 2 and 3. These doors may have magnetic strips, which In a manner known per se, abut 20 against the stopping strips 15 and the seals 13 of the profiles when the doors are closed. <( t 7 1 .1

Claims

Claims:

1. An extruded plastic profile for refrigerators, freezer compartments, iceboxes or the like, having two leg regions arranged at right angles to each other, the first leg region having a channel open towards 5 the external side of the first leg region In the direction of the second leg.

2. A profile according to Claim 1, characterized In that the other leg region has at its free end a receptacle open towards the rear for a sheet-metal wall of the refrigerator or the like. 10

3. A profile according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second leg region has, in the vicinity of the corner of the profile, a groove section which opens outwards and a box profile section adjacent thereto.

4. A profile according to Claim 3, characterized in that the box profile 15 section has a box profile with a flat front surface.

5. A profile according to Claim 4, characterised in that the groove section is formed by a groove web extending Inwards from the corner of the profile and by the adjacent end face of the box profile.

6. A profile according to Claim 5, characterized in that a seal together 20 with a stopping strip is arranged inside the groove section , and in that a tongue of the stopping strip projects into the groove section and a further tongue partially covers the groove section and is orientated parallel to the front surface of the box profile.

7. A profile according to any one of Claims 4 to 6, characterized In that the 2 5 free end face of the box profile has a web projection protruding beyond the box profile towards the rear, and the front surface of the box profile is extended beyond the free end face of the box profile and has, on its free edge, a flange which runs parallel to the web towards the rear.

8.R 6. A profile according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the first leg region has a web section which is adjacent to the corner of the profile and has a flat front surface and next to which the channel is located. y 5

9. A profile according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that In Its corner region it has cavities Which are enclosed ^ between the box profile and the channel by webs.

10. An extruded plastics profile substantially as described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. 10

11. A refrigerator, freezer compartment, ice-box, or like container including a profile according to any preceding claim. F. R. KELLY & CO., AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS. V (