KR102519471B1 - Opening devices for refrigerators and refrigerators - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an opening device (10) for a refrigerator (1) having a door (4) with an insulating region having at least one peripheral seal (5), the opening device (10) comprising a housing (100) and It relates to an electrically actuated extensible evacuation element (110). The opening device 10 is formed so that the fastening units 11 provided for the door hinges 9 of the refrigerator 1 can be installed on the front part 3 of the insulator 2 of the refrigerator 1. characterized in that it acts with the evacuation element 110 on the region of the door assembly located outside the seal 5 . The invention also relates to a refrigerator having an opening device 10 of this type.

Description

Opening devices for refrigerators and refrigerators

The present invention relates to an opening device for a refrigerator having a housing in which an evacuation element can be extended in an electrically actuated manner, the refrigerator having a door assembly having at least one insulated area with a peripheral seal. The present invention also relates to a refrigerator equipped with a heat-insulator (insulator) and a heat-insulated door (insulated door), and therefore it relates to a door hinge holding a closed position with a seal on the front part of the body in relation thereto. It is possible to pivot through In this case, a fastening unit for alternately fastening the door hinge to the left or right side of the insulator is provided on the front surface of the insulator.

Typical refrigerators in the home, such as refrigerators or freezers, generally have a pivotable door that is sealed in relation to the body of the refrigerator using a perimeter seal. To achieve sufficient thermal insulation without leakage between the insulator and the insulated door, the perimeter seal is typically formed of a magnetic seal that applies a continuous-closing force between the door and the body. In addition, the door hinges can be equipped with a self-return function to apply an additional continuous-closing force. Finally, a partial vacuum is created after closing the refrigerator or freezer door as a result of the incoming warmer air, which cools inside the sealed inner chamber and becomes an additional component of the continuous-closing force.

For more convenient operation of such a refrigerator, the opening device mentioned above is known, and the ejection element is electrically driven, and at least the door of the refrigerator is sufficiently pressed to make it easy to reach behind the door, and the door is manually fully opened. It may extend out of the housing.

For example, such an opening device is known from document EP 2 292 995 B1. The opening device described in that document is mounted on the top of the refrigerator and presses together with the ejection element against the protruding edge of the top of the door of the refrigerator. The opening device has a coil equipped with a replaceable armature. The armature is held via a spring element in a rest position and is moved out upon activating the coil. The armature moving out acts through a lever mechanism on the door opening at least the width of the gap. The placement of the opening device at the top of the refrigerator is often undesirable for design-technical reasons. In addition, in the case of a stand-alone refrigerator, the upper portion can be used only as a storage space within a limited range. In addition, the refrigerator having the opening device positioned in this way causes the opening device, which protrudes upward from the insulator of the refrigerator, to cause a gap between the refrigerator and the furniture body or upper plate that is only partially closed. It has limited suitability for installation on furniture bodies.

A refrigerator with an opening device is known from document DE 10 2013 103 819 A1, in which a pocket is formed in the upper region of the insulation of the refrigerator, into which a suitable opening device can be inserted. In a preferred embodiment, a number of such pockets are formed on the top and/or bottom of the refrigerator, which can be used to accommodate door hinges as well as to accommodate opening devices. As the opening device is integrated into the above-mentioned pockets, the opening device does not protrude beyond the size of the insulator of the refrigerator, which is more visually attractive and it is easy to install the refrigerator to the furniture body. In the case of a design in which the pockets are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the body, the arrangement of the door hinges and opening devices can be varied by the door hinges on the left and right sides. The pockets are uniformly formed on both sides for this purpose, and a hinge device and/or an opening device is respectively formed to accommodate an alternately opening device or door hinge.

However, the pockets formed to accommodate the door hinge and opener represent a special solution requiring a specially adapted door hinge relative to the standard hinge solution used in the refrigerator, resulting in an increase in the price of the corresponding refrigerator. cause Also, only refrigerators that already have the provided pockets can be retrofitted using the opening device described above. Also, since the pockets are introduced into the insulator of the refrigerator, the pockets may cause a decrease in energy efficiency due to heat of the refrigerator.

An object of the present invention is to provide an opening device for a refrigerator and a refrigerator equipped with the same, a standardized door hinge is used for the refrigerator, and the refrigerator is used with the opening device, both free-standing and installed in a furniture body. In addition, the opening device should enable the refrigerator to be newly installed as much as possible without preparing special means for this purpose.

This object is achieved by an opening device and a refrigerator having each of the features of the independent claims.

Advantageous embodiments and improvements are the subject of the dependent claims.

The opening device according to the invention of the type mentioned at the beginning is distinguished in that it can be installed on the front part of the insulator of the refrigerator provided with the fastening units for the refrigerator. Also, the opening device is designed to act with its ejection element on the area of the door assembly located outside the seal. The opening device thus makes use of the installation space provided in a standard way in the refrigerator for the door hinge, and also makes use of the fastening devices of the door hinge already provided in this context. Thus, the simple ability to retrofit the opening device according to the invention already occurs in a variety of refrigerators available on the market. Also, installation space otherwise available on the top of the refrigerator, for example, is not occupied. Finally, no intervention into the insulator beyond the fastening units of the provided door hinge is required in any case.

For example, the door assembly of the refrigerator consists of an insulated door with a panel protruding outward, in particular projecting upwards and downwards beyond the insulator, and the ejection element of the opening device is formed on the inwardly facing surface of the panel. facing surface). In the case of a refrigerator having an insulator used for a furniture body, the body door represents such a door panel. The discharge element of the opening device in this case presses the upper or lower part of the insulating door against the inner side of the body door.

To enable placement in the usable installation space, the housing of the opening device advantageously has a depth of less than 60 millimeters (mm), preferably less than 47 mm, or preferably between 38 and 47 mm. The opening device may be designed to be installed directly over the fastening devices. The use of an installation adapter advantageously has fastening holes for mounting on the fastening units on the refrigerator and fastening means for the housing. For example, a tool-free fastening of the opening device on the mounting adapter is advantageously possible by means of the mounting adapter having insertion tabs for fixing in fastening slots of the housing.

In one preferred embodiment of the opening device the discharge element has a maximum stroke of 40 mm to 80 mm. In this case, the ejection element can be implemented flexibly to achieve this stroke, so that when extending out of the housing, the maximum stroke is greater than the depth of the housing of the opening device. Using this stroke, the door assembly can be opened sufficiently to overcome the holding-closed force of the (magnetic) seal and the partial vacuum within the interior of the refrigerator. It is then conveniently accessible from behind the door assembly to fully open the door assembly. At the same time, the door assembly preferably only opens far enough with the opening device still located within the self-return range of the door hinge if fitted. If the door assembly is not manually opened, it closes automatically after the ejection element is retracted.

In another advantageous embodiment of the opening device, the ejection element is in the form of a circular segment and is pivotably mounted on or in the housing.

In this case, for example, the opening device may have a gear wheel segment on which a rotatable roller bearing on the inside of the chord-shaped surface of the circular segment-shaped discharge element is mounted, and upon pivoting of the gear wheel segment, the A roller moves on the inner chordal surface and the ejection element moves out of the housing.

In another embodiment, the opening device has a sprocket on which a chain rests, one end of which engages the circular segment shaped discharge element. Upon rotation of the chain gear, the discharge elements move out of the housing or into the housing, respectively.

A chain drive can also advantageously be used in the case of a telescoping, linearly extensible discharge element. In this case, for example, the opening device is movable in opposite directions and each has two sprockets on which a chain rests. With wheels, the chains are each connected at one end to the linearly extendable ejection element and bear on each other over the area of the ejection element. Upon rotation of the chain gear, the discharge element moves out of the housing or into the housing, respectively.

In another advantageous embodiment of the opening device, a force accumulator is provided which moves the discharge element out of the housing. The force accumulator is preferably a spring, in particular a torsion spring acting on the discharge element. The force accumulator assists a drive system with, for example, an electric drive motor, worm, worm gear and possibly additional gear wheels during the ejection process. This generates sufficient ejection force even in the small usable space. The spring force specifically assists in starting the drive motor to overcome the keep-closing force of the refrigerator. In this case, in the case of the typical continuous-closing force of the installation space provided with the refrigerator and the opening device, if at the beginning of the out-moving process the discharge element is pressed outside the housing, the force of the spring in the opening process It has proven advantageous when the component of the total force is between 20% and 50% and preferably between about 30% and 35%.

The refrigerator according to the invention of the disclosed type is among unused fastening units for the door hinge in which the opening device for the insulated door is on the side of the insulator opposite to the door hinge in an installation space provided for the door hinge. It is distinguished by being installed on at least one.

This brings about the advantages mentioned above in relation to the opening device.

In one advantageous embodiment of the refrigerator, the insulator is inserted into the furniture body, the door hinge is pivotally mounted on the insulator, and the insulator door is connected to the furniture body door. In this case, the body door may be fixedly connected to the insulated door. Alternatively, the body door may be mounted via hinges and connected to an insulated door using a drag door fitting.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the refrigerator, the body door protrudes beyond the insulated door at at least one corner. And the opening device acts with the discharge element in the excess area on the inner side of the body door.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the refrigerator, the ejection element, when extending out of the housing, has a maximum stroke which pivots the insulated door for a door opening angle that is less than the angular range of the self-retracting device of the door hinge. The door opening angle is preferably less than 35°.

An opening device (10) for a refrigerator (1) having a door assembly with an insulating region having at least one peripheral seal (5), the opening device (10) electrically extending from a housing (100) With a possible ejection element 110, the opening device 10 connects the front part of the insulator 2 of the refrigerator 1 to the fastening units 11 provided for the door hinges 9 of the refrigerator 1. The opening device (10) is characterized in that it is designed to be installed in (3) and works with the outlet element (110) on the region of the door assembly located outside the seal (5).

The invention will be explained in more detail on the basis of the drawings later. In the drawing:
1A and 1B each show isometric views of a refrigerator with doors open from various viewing directions;
Figures 2a and 2b are more detailed views of Figures 1a and 1b showing the placement of door hinges and/or opening devices within the refrigerator of Figures 1a and 1b;
Fig. 2c is a more detailed view of Figs. 1a and 1b showing an installation space for a door hinge or opening device;
Fig. 2d is with a screw-on installation adapter for the opening device as in Fig. 2c;
Figures 3a-3c show various cross-sectional views from the region of the door hinge of the refrigerator of Figures 1a and 1b;
Figure 4a shows an isometric view of a first embodiment of an opening device;
Figures 4b-4e show various cross-sectional views of the opening device according to Figure 4a;
Figure 5a shows an isometric view of a second embodiment of the opening device;
Figures 5b-5e show various cross-sectional views of the opening device according to Figure 5a;
Figure 6a shows an isometric view of a third embodiment of an opening device; and
Figures 6b-6e show various cross-sectional views of the opening device according to Figure 6a;
Refrigerator 1 is shown in isometric view in each of FIGS. 1A and 1B. The refrigerator 1 may be, for example, a refrigerator or freezer used for home or commercial use.

The refrigerator 1 has a heat-insulator, referred to as an insulator 2 hereinafter, and the front part 3 is shown in the interior and in the drawings. A heat-insulating door, hereinafter referred to as insulating door 4, having a perimeter sealing body 5, which is generally a magnetic seal, is combined with the insulator 2. When closed with the insulating door 4, the sealing body 5 is placed around the front portion 3 of the insulator 2 and completely seals the inside of the insulator 2.

In the illustrated refrigerator 1, the insulator 2 is installed on the furniture body 6 coupled with the body door 8 supporting the front portion 7 of the furniture body 6 in the closed state.

In the illustrated embodiment, the body door 8 and the insulating door 4 form a unit fixedly connected to each other. The main body door 8 protrudes out past the insulating door 4 on all sides.

The insulated door 4 is pivotably connected to the insulator 2 of the refrigerator 1 through a door hinge 9 . The actual coupling mechanism of each door hinge 9 is arranged above or below the insulated door 4 in this case, so that it is located outside the insulated interior of the insulator 2 when the refrigerator 1 is closed. The main body door 8 is connected to form a unit through a door connector (not shown in Figs. 1A and 1B) and supported by the insulating door 4. Typically the door connector is also used to align the body door 9 with respect to the insulating door 4, possibly in all three spatial directions. Therefore, it is possible to achieve gapless bearings of both doors on each end of the corresponding body.

An opening device 10 is disposed in the upper left corner region of the insulator 2 and is used for electrically driven pressure opening of the door assembly, i.e. the unit made of the body door 9 and the insulated door 4.

The arrangement of the opening device 10 and the door hinge 9 in the upper region of the refrigerator 1 is again shown in greater detail in the detailed enlarged views of Figs. 2a and 2b, respectively.

The door hinge 9 used is a so-called seven-joint hinge, having seven different points of articulation.

These joints have become standard in refrigerators because using them a properly guided opening action of the door assembly can be achieved.

FIG. 3a first shows a horizontal section through the refrigerator of FIGS. 1a and/or 1b in the region of the insulator 2 just above the door hinge 9 . Figure 3b shows a vertical section through the door hinge 9. Finally, Figure 3b shows a cross section comparable to Figure 3a with the open door assembly.

In the corner area, an installation space of width B, depth T, and height H for the door hinge 9 is possible.

The width B extends in the horizontal direction along the front face 3 in this case, the height H extends in the vertical direction along the end face 3 and the depth T extends in the circumferential direction of the end face 3 of the insulator 2. .

In particular, the depth T is defined by the standard of the typically used door hinge 9 and is about 42 mm. The depth T specifies the distance between the end face 3 of the insulator 2 and the surface of the body door 8 facing the insulator 2. The door hinge 9 supports the above-mentioned front part 3 and the inner surface of the body door 8, the abutting surface on the two surfaces, and fastens on these elements using a fixing means, usually a screw. do. In general, the location of the fastening means is also standardly defined. In particular, in the insulator 2 of the refrigerator 1, the door hinge is arranged with pre-finished fastening units, for example a screw-in option, which can be screwed onto the end face 9 in the corner region. do. The fastening units may be provided as bushings, for example with inserted or press-in threads.

Part 13 of the aforementioned door connector is still recognizable in Figure 3c, which allows the insulated door 4 and the body door 8 to be connected to each other. In the main embodiment shown above - when looking toward the front of the refrigerator 1 - the door is hinged on the right side, whereas the opening device 10 is installed in the upper left area. The Refrigerator 1 allows left or right door hinges, similar to typical refrigerators. For this purpose, the fastening units referred to in conjunction with Figs. 3a-3c for the door hinge or hinges 9 are provided not only on the right side of the insulator, but also on the mirror image of the left side. Accordingly, the door hinge 9 can be screwed onto the left side of the refrigerator at the upper left and/or lower left corner without any other structural change. In the case of door hinges 9 that are not configured symmetrically, they are exchanged crosswise when changing the door hinge, i.e. the upper right door hinge 9 is used on the lower left and the lower right door hinge 9 is used on the upper left do.

In the illustrated arrangement, in the case of the left-hinged door, the installation space available on the top of the door hinge 9 is occupied by the opening device 10 . According to the application, the opening device 10 is not only located in this installation space, but also uses the prepared fastening units for the door hinge 9 . With the door hinged on the left side, the door hinge 9 is used along these fastening units on the left side, while the opening device 10 is attached to the upper door hinge 9 inside the upper right corner region of the insulator 9. Use the fastening options used for the state shown above by

It should be noted in this context that the opening device 10 according to the invention can be arranged not only in the upper part, but also in the lower region of the refrigerator 1 or in both the upper and lower regions. Therefore, the opening device 10 can also use the fastening units on the lower part of the two door hinges 9 corresponding to the side surfaces where the door hinges are not installed. The aforementioned fastening units in the lower left corner area of the refrigerator 1 are shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and are provided with reference numeral 11 above. FIG. 2C shows a detailed enlarged view of the lower left corner region of the refrigerator 1 . The fastening unit 11 is a threaded accessory in the end face 3 of the insulator 2, in which case a fastening screw is screwed therein.

FIG. 2d shows the same details as in FIG. 2c , and an installation adapter 140 to which the opening device 10 can be fastened can be installed on the fastening units 11 . The installation adapter 140 shown is angled, with one leg supporting the end face 3 of the insulator 2 and the other leg supporting the inner side of the furniture body 6. The mounting adapter 140 is fastened onto the furniture body 6 using additional screws 12 . Therefore, the installation adapter 140 is used not only for installing the opening device 10 but also for fixing the insulator 2 to the furniture body 6 . Other angles used exclusively for this purpose may be omitted. The fastening of the opening device 10 onto the mounting adapter 140 will be described in more detail below in conjunction with FIGS. 4A to 4E.

As described above, the illustrated refrigerator 1 has the exterior furniture body 6, and the insulator 2 is inserted and installed into the interior. Depending on the application, the above-mentioned installation space in which the door hinge 9 and the opening device 10 are disposed can also be used in a form similar to that of a so-called free-standing refrigerator with an independent insulator covered with a decorative surface. In the case of such a refrigerator, the insulated door typically has a decorative front panel projecting in a similar manner upwards and downwards of the body door 8 beyond the area where the door is insulated.

An installation space of the same depth T is also provided in the stand-alone refrigerator in the upper or lower corner region of the insulated body to accommodate a door hinge for the panel-covered insulated door. Therefore, the installation space not used by the door hinge and provided on the opposite side of the refrigerator including the fastening units is also available for the opening device according to the application of the stand-alone refrigerator.

In the illustrated refrigerator 1, the insulated door 4 and the main body door 8 are pivotally coupled by the two illustrated door hinges 9 to form a mountable unit. In another embodiment of the refrigerator, four hinges are provided, two of which mount the body door and two of which mount and pivot the insulated door. Also in this case, in order to achieve simultaneous opening operation of the insulated door and the main body door, which is convenient to operate, a so-called drag fitting is used, which couples the insulated door and the main body door to each other on the opposite sides of the door hinge (drag connection). ) The shown installation space of the standardized depth T is also available for mounting the body door in this design of the refrigerator.

Finally, it should be noted that instead of the seven-joint hinges shown above, single-joint hinges could also be used to mount the insulated door. In refrigerators, a single-joint hinge is often formed by a pin inserted into the insulated door, which is installed vertically at an angle to be screwed onto the end face of the insulator. The body door is generally guided by concave furniture hinges, usually four-joint hinges in the case of a drag connection.

A first embodiment of a suitable opening device 10 is shown in Figs. 4a to 4e, which can be used, for example, in the refrigerator according to Figs. 1a and 1b.

Figure 4a shows the opening device 10 in an isometric view with the housing 100 open on one side, which allows viewing of the internal structure of the opening device 10. The housing 100, which is preferably a plastic housing, is in the shape of a cuboid with respect to its basic dimensions and has a width b, a height h, and a depth t.

The above details of width b, height h, and depth t are related to the installation position shown in FIG. 1, that is, the width b is horizontally parallel to the front part 3 of the insulator 2 of the refrigerator 1 The height h extends in the vertical direction, and the depth 6 extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the front portion 3.

The dimensions of the housing 100 are such that the opening device 10 fits within the installation space of the width B, the height H, and the depth T, which are the front part 3 of the insulator 2 and the inner side of the body door 8. It is available in the above refrigerator 1 between. In particular, the depth t of the opening device 10 is equal to or smaller than the depth T of the installation space (considering all fastening means). In the present illustrated embodiment, the housing 100 is not directly installed on the front part 3 of the refrigerator 1, but rather with the help of an installation adapter 140, which is configured like a right angle and above the width b. It has a longitudinal leg 141 extending in the direction and a transverse leg 142 extending in the direction at the depth t. The mounting adapter 140 is provided with three different mounting holes 143 visible on the transverse leg 142 of FIG. 4a. Additional mounting holes 143 are applied on the longitudinal leg 141 and are therefore not visible here. The mounting adapter 140 can be installed with the help of these mounting holes 143 together with the longitudinal legs 141 on the front side 3 of the insulator 2 . Also, installation through the installation hole 143 in the longitudinal leg 142 is possible, which supports the installation on the surface of the furniture body 6.

After installation of the installation adapter 140, the housing 100 of the opening device 10 is preferably plugged onto the installation adapter 140 which is latched without tools. In the illustrated example, an insertion tab 144 is formed on the installation adapter 140, which engages a retaining slot 102 on the lower side of the housing 100 and secures the housing 100 on the installation adapter 140. In addition to the mounting tab 144, additional elements that engage or are fixed to the housing 100 may be formed on the mounting adapter 140. The mounting holes 143 are arranged on the mounting adapter 140 and are designed specifically to use pre-finished holes or threaded fastening units of the insulator 2, which are provided for the installation of the door hinge 9 on the insulator 2. .

As in the illustrated embodiment, when the installation of the opening device 10 is carried out with the help of the installation adapter 140, the depth t of the housing 100 coincides with the depth T of the provided installation space. The material thickness of the directional leg 141 is made to a specific dimension.

An opening 101 for the outlet element 110 is introduced into the surface of the housing 100 located at the top in Figure 4a, which is directed towards the door assembly in the installed position.

The evacuation element 110 is shown in FIG. 4A in its most extended state, and it protrudes most over the top side of the housing 100 .

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4a , the evacuation element 110 is in the form of a circular piece in cross section, the evacuation element 110 is mounted in the region of the end and is pivotable within the housing 100 via a pivot bearing 111 .

The evacuation element 110 has a side surface 112, a chordal surface 113, and a curved surface 114. The side surface 112 and the curved surface 114 can be drawn into the housing 100 until the chordal surface 113 extends substantially flush with the top side of the housing 100 and fills the opening 101 . The returned state of the opening device 10 will be explained in more detail below in conjunction with FIGS. 4d and 4e.

In Fig. 4b, the extended state first according to Fig. 4a is shown once again in cross section.

The cross-sectional plane extends in the direction of the width b and the depth t of the housing 100 .

Fig. 4c shows a sectional view in this direction at the height h along the line IVc-IVc of the cross section shown in Fig. 4b.

The two Figures 4b and 4c show the drive system 130 of the opening device 10 in detail.

A force to overcome the continuous-closing force of the door assembly, particularly of the insulated door 4, is required to open the door assembly of the refrigerator 1. This force is achieved by a combination of an elastic force and an electromotive force in the exemplary embodiment shown above. For this purpose, a spring 120 is disposed in the region of the pivot bearing 111, which biases the outlet element 110 into the extended position by applying an elastic force. The elastic force helps start the driving motor 131 to overcome the continuous-closing force of the refrigerator 1 in particular. In this case, if the force component of the spring 120 during the opening process of the total force pushed out of the housing 100 at the first stage of the process of moving the discharge element 110 out is preferably between 20% and 50%. Preferably about 30 to 35% has proven to be advantageous for the typical continuous-closing force of refrigerators and the installation space provided for the opening device 10 .

In the illustrated example, the spring 120 is a torsion spring, which is wound around a pin of the bearing 111 and acts with a bow on the chordal surface 113 of the discharge element 110 . In addition, on the one hand, a drive motor 131 contributing to the force component for the opening operation of the discharge element 110 is provided, and on the other hand, the discharge element 110 contracts to tighten the spring 120 for the next opening process. .

A worm 132 interacting with the worm gear 133 is disposed on one axis of the drive motor 131. It is coupled in a fixed rotational manner to a gear wheel acting through a gear wheel 134 on a chain gear 135 . The teeth of the gear wheel 134 are not shown in Figure 4c as this is easily understood. The worm 132, the worm gear 133, and the gear wheel 134 together form a gear device that transmits the rotational motion of the drive motor 131, which is appropriately reduced, to the chain gear wheel 135. In this case, the gear device is self-restrained due to the coupling of the worm 132 and the worm gear 133, so even with the tensioned spring 120, the discharge element 110 moves out of the housing 100 when the driving motor 131 is not powered. don't move out In addition, a cable feedthrough 103 is formed in the housing 100, through which a power supply cable of the drive motor 131 is guided.

A chain 136 is provided to transfer the rotational motion of the sprocket 135 to the pivotal motion of the sprocket element 110, which is fixed on one side with the last chain link on the cogwheel, and is mounted on the sprocket element 110. It is fastened on the other side with the chain link in the chain fastening position 116. A chain guide 137 is formed to slide into the housing 100 where the chain 136 slides on the opposite side of the chain sprocket 135. Due to the chain guide 137, not only traction force can be transmitted by the chain 136, but also pressure force can be transmitted.

As shown in FIG. 4C, the chain gear 135 is mounted on a bearing pin 104 integrally formed with the housing 100. The gear wheel 134 and the worm gear 133 may be mounted in the same way.

4d and 4e show the opening device 10 in the retracted state of the drainage element 110 . Fig. 4d corresponds to the cross section according to Fig. 4b and Fig. 4e corresponds to the cross section according to Fig. 4c.

In the contracted state, the chain sprocket 135 rotates counterclockwise by transmission of properly polarized power of the drive motor 131, the chain 136 is wound on the chain sprocket 135, and the discharge element 110 It is assumed to be pivoted into the housing 100. In the fully retracted state shown in Figures 4d and 4e, the lower edge of the curved surface 114 supports the lower inner side of the housing 100. In this state, the chordal surface 113 extends substantially on the same plane as the upper side surface of the housing 100 .

An end stop switch may be provided, which is actuated by the discharge element 110 and the drive motor 131 in the positions shown. It is also possible that the circuit driving the drive motor 131 monitors the power consumption of the drive motor 131, defines a mechanical end stop based on the increased power consumption, and stops the drive motor 131. Due to the self-restraint of the worm 132 and/or the worm gear 133, the opening device 10 maintains the state shown in Figs. 4d and 4e even when the driving motor 131 is not powered. To enable complete retraction of the discharge element 110, a recess 115 is introduced into the side surface 112, which prevents striking of the discharge element 110 on the shaft on the chain gear 135 or the gear wheel 134.

Power is transmitted from the driving motor 131 in reverse polarity to extend the discharge element 110 and to open the door assembly of the refrigerator 1. The chain sprocket 135 rotates clockwise in the state of FIGS. 4D and 4E and releases the chain 136 from the chain sprocket 135. This chain presses on the ejection element 110 supported by the chain guide 137 on the chain fastening location 116 .

This opening operation is assisted by the elastic force of the spring 120. Even if the size of the structure of the opening device 10 is small suitable for the available installation space, the combination of the elastic force and the motor driving force particularly advantageously provides sufficient force in the discharge process to press and open the door assembly of the refrigerator 1. make it possible When the discharge element 110 is fully extended, it strikes the bearing 11 or the end stop provided in the area on the lower part and the curved surface 114, and the discharge process is again performed by observing the power consumption of the drive motor 131. may be stopped Alternatively, it is also possible to use an end stop switch here.

For example, an opening process may be initiated by the control unit by contacting a touch-sensitive switch connected to a handle on the door assembly of the refrigerator 1 . It is also conceivable to provide timely contact on the door hinge 9 or the door assembly monitoring a manual opening attempt where the door has already moved slightly, and initiate the ejection process. After completing the pressure opening of the door assembly, a waiting period of several seconds may be provided while the ejection element 110 is retracted. This waiting time allows the opening procedure to be manually and comfortably continued after the maximum component of the sustained-closing force has been overcome. By the time the door assembly is closed again after using the refrigerator 1, the ejection element 110 is preferably already retracted again, so that the door assembly is closed again easily and firmly. If the door assembly is not manually opened after the ejection process, a self-return mechanism is provided on the door hinge 9, which engages again after the contraction of the ejection element 110 and then closes the door assembly of the refrigerator 1. close again This prevents the door assembly of the refrigerator from unintentionally remaining open after an ejection process because, for example, a user does not want to open the refrigerator 1 after activating the ejection process.

In FIGS. 5a to 5e a second embodiment of an opening device 10 is shown in the same way as in FIGS. 4a to 4e which can also be used in the refrigerator 1 according to FIGS. 1a and 1b. The same reference numerals designate the same elements as in the above exemplary embodiments of these FIGS.

In the above basic structure, the opening device 10 of the second exemplary embodiment corresponds to that of the first exemplary embodiment. Therefore, explicit reference is made to the above description of FIGS. 4A to 4E.

In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, in the above figures 4a to 4e, the housing 100 of the opening device 10 is shown without an installation adapter 140 . Also, an installation adapter 140 similar to that described in the first exemplary embodiment may be used. Alternatively, fastening means for fastening the housing 100 on the appropriately prepared fastening options for the door hinge 9 of refrigerator 1 may be formed directly in the housing 100 .

A further difference in this exemplary embodiment is that the drive is performed electrically only by the drive motor 131 . The spring 120 additionally used for the force applied for the discharging process in the first exemplary embodiment is not provided in the illustrated example. However, it is clear that such a spring 120 may also be provided in this exemplary embodiment.

Finally, the third difference is the different type of force transmission from the drive motor 131 to the discharge element 110 . In the present case, transmission from the drive motor 131 through the worm 132, the worm gear 133, and the gear wheel 134 forming a gear arrangement is again provided. Instead of the chain gear 135, however, an additional gear wheel 134 is arranged which meshes with a gear wheel segment 138 mounted in the upper region of the housing 100 (adjacent to the opening 101 for the discharge element 110).

The gear wheel segment 138 has a radius that occupies approximately the total depth t of the housing 100 . The gear wheel segment 138 is approximately a quadrant segment. A rotatable fork 139 equipped with a roller 117 is mounted within said area of the outer circumference of one side. This roller 117 bears the inner side of the discharge element 110 on its chordal surface 113 . Upon pivoting of the gear wheel segment 138, the roller 117 presses the ejection element outward, and the roller 117 rolls inward of the ejection element. Since the roller 117 supports not the outer end, that is, the region of the curved surface 114 on the discharge element 110, but the middle region between the curved surface 114 and the bearing 111, the curved surface 114 is formed between the curved surface 114 and the circular- Portions of the side 112 of the segment-shaped evacuation element 110 are directed far enough away from the housing 100 to pass over the surface of the housing 100. Accordingly, a discharge stroke greater than the depth t of the housing 100 can be achieved.

In order to prevent a gap from occurring between the upper side of the housing 100 and the circular-segment-shaped discharge element 110 that may be caught when contracted into the housing 100, the circular segment-shaped apron ( An apron) 118 is arranged on the inside of the drainage element 110 which extends the drainage element 110 telescopically downward and thus prevents the occurrence of a gap. The discharge element 110 is formed to be flexible to some extent by the apron 118. In this way, a sufficient stroke of the organ ejection device can be achieved despite the predetermined depth T defining the depth t of the opening device of the possible installation space.

To ensure that the ejection element 110 follows as the roller 117 moves in, for example, it may be provided in the area of the pivot bearing 111 that presses the ejection element with some force into the housing 100 . However, instead of the roller 117 being form-fitted in only one direction (outward) for force transmission, a form-fitting connection on both sides (inward and outward) is effected between the gear wheel segment 138 and the discharge element 110. can also be considered. In this case, similar to the first exemplary embodiment, a spring may also be provided in the area of the pivot bearing 111 to assist the coming out process. A spring may be provided independently of the type of force transmission between the gear wheel segment 138 and the ejection element 110 at the gear wheel segment 138 to assist in the ejection process.

In Figs. 6a to 6e, the third exemplary embodiment of the opening device 10 is again described in the same way as the above two conventional exemplary embodiments that can be used, for example, in the refrigerator 1 of Figs. 1a and 1b.

As in the first exemplary embodiment, the housing 100 is provided again, which can be fastened through the installation adapter 140 on the insulator 2 or the furniture body 6.

In contrast to the two exemplary embodiments shown above, in this exemplary embodiment, no pivotable discharge element 110 is provided, but rather a linearly movable discharge element 110 is provided. Similar to the above exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5A to 5E , this linear evacuation element 110 includes an inner hollow pin 119 and an outer tube section 119′ that are flexible and lead to the inner pin 119 to be displaced. The outer section 119' is in turn guided within the housing 100 so that the drainage element 110 extends substantially flush with the upper region of the housing 100 in a retracted state and protrudes beyond it in the extended state. Due to the stretchable ability, in this case the discharge element 110 can extend beyond the depth t of the housing 100 .

To extend the evacuation element 110 out of the housing 100, a drive system 130 having a drive motor and downstream gearing is provided. For reasons of inclusion, the individual components of the drive system 130 are not shown in detail in this exemplary embodiment. The drive system 130 acts on two chain gears 135, in the present case driven in opposite directions. A chain 136, each guided through a slide rail 137, is placed on each of the two chain sprockets 135. The slide rails 137 extend towards each other in the middle region between the chain sprockets 135 until the two chains 136 meet at the middle and run parallel to each other in the discharge element 110 . The end of the chain 136 is connected to the inner pin 119.

Thus, the ejection element 110 extends out of the housing 100 when both chains 136 leave the chain sprocket 135. The result of the extended state is shown in Figures 6a to 6c. The chain 136 rotates on the chain sprocket 135, whereby the discharge element 110 is retracted and the condition shown in Figs. 6d and 6e is assumed.

If two opening devices 10 are provided on the refrigerator 1 for the door assembly, it may be advantageous to operate the opening devices 10 to extend at slightly different times. Thus, for example, the sealing body 4 in the upper region of the refrigerator 1 is slightly lifted before being lifted in the lower region. A lower opening force is therefore required with respect to simultaneous opening at the top and bottom.

A control device for the opening device(s) 10 may be provided on the refrigerator 1, on the opening device or devices 10 itself, or on a network cable. In one embodiment in which the control device is disposed on the network cable or in the refrigerator 1, most of the installation space available for the opening device 10 may be used for the actual driving.

1 refrigerator
2 insulator
3 front part (of the insulator)
4 insulated door
5 (magnetic) seal
6 furniture body
7 Front part (of the furniture body)
8 body door
9 door hinges
10 opening device
11 fasteners
12 screws
13 door connector
100 housing
101 Opening for discharge device
102 fastening slots
103 cable feedthrough
104 bearing pin
110 exhaust element
111 pivot bearing
112 side
113 Chord-shaped surface
114 curved surfaces
115 concave
116 chain fastening
117 roller
118 apron
119 internal pin
119' outer section
120 spring
130 drive system
131 drive motor
132 Worm
133 worm gear
134 gear wheel
135 Chain Gear
136 chain
137 chain guide
138 gear wheel segment
139 forked head
140 installation adapter
141 Longitudinal bridge
142 transverse bridge
143 mounting hole
144 Insert tab
H height (of the above installation space)
B width (of the above installation space)
T depth (of the above installation space)
h height (of the opening device)
b width (of the opening device)
t depth (of the opening device)

Claims (24)

In a refrigerator (1) having a door assembly, an insulator (2), and an insulated door (4),
The door assembly has an insulated area with at least one peripheral seal (5), the insulated door (4) being rotated in relation to the insulator (2) by the insulator (2) and the door hinge (9). installed to enable
Fastening units for alternate fastening of the door hinge (9) to the left or right side of the insulator (2) are provided on the front part (3) of the insulator (2),
The opening device 10 for the insulated door 4 is on the side of the insulator 2 opposite the door hinge 9 in the installation space provided for the door hinge 9. installed in at least one of the unused fastening units for the hinge (9),
The opening device (10) has a housing (100) and an electrically actuated extensible evacuation element (110),
The opening device 10 is formed to be installed on the front part 3 of the insulator 2 of the refrigerator 1, and is located on the area of the door assembly located outside the sealing body 5. interact with the exhaust element (110);
The ejection element 110 has a maximum stroke when extended out of the housing 100 of the opening device 10, keeping the insulated door 4 within the angular range of the self-retracting device of the door hinge 9. Rotate by a small door opening angle,
When the insulating door (4) is closed, the sealing body (5) is placed around the front portion (3) of the insulator (2) and completely seals the inside of the insulator (2);
The opening device 10 has fastening holes 143 for installation in the fastening units on the refrigerator 1 and an installation adapter 140 having fastening means for the housing 100,
The refrigerator (1), characterized in that the installation adapter (140) is installed using the longitudinal legs (141) and installation holes (143) on the front portion (3) of the insulator (2).
The refrigerator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (100) has a depth (t) of less than 60 mm.
delete The refrigerator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the installation adapter (140) has insertion tabs (144) coupled to the fastening slots (102) of the housing (100) for fastening to the housing (100) without tools.
The refrigerator (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing (100) has fastening means used to directly install the fastening units to the refrigerator (1).
3. The refrigerator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the discharge element (110) has a maximum stroke of 40 mm to 80 mm.
3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the evacuation element (110) is embodied as a telescoping element and when extended out of the housing (100) the opening of the housing (100) of the opening device (10). A refrigerator (1) with a maximum stroke greater than the depth (t).
3. The refrigerator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the drain element (110) is in the form of a circular segment and is pivotably mounted on or within the housing (100).
9. The gear wheel segment according to claim 8, having a gear wheel segment (138) mounted with rotatable rollers bearing on the inside of the chordal surface (113) of the circularly carved discharge element (110). 138), the roller rotates on the inner chordal surface (113) and the discharge element (110) is moved out of the housing (100).
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the chain (136) coupled to the end of the circularly carved discharge element (110) has a chain sprocket (135) placed thereon, and when the chain sprocket (135) rotates The refrigerator (1), wherein the discharge element (110) moves out of the housing (100) or enters the housing (100), respectively.
9. The refrigerator (1) according to claim 8, wherein a force accumulator is provided to move the discharge element (110) out of the housing (100).
12. The refrigerator (1) according to claim 11, wherein the force accumulator is a spring (120) acting on the discharge element (110).
3. The refrigerator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the outlet element (110) is linearly extensible.
12. The method of claim 11, having two chains (135) movable in opposite directions, each resting on a chain (136), which chains (136) are linearly extensible at one end a discharge element ( 110), support each other on the area of the discharge element 110, and when the chain gear 135 rotates, the discharge element 110 moves out of the housing 100 or moves out of the housing 100. A refrigerator that goes inside (1).
3. The refrigerator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, having a drive system (130) with an electric drive motor (131), a worm (132) and a worm gear (133).
delete The method according to claim 1, wherein the insulator (2) is inserted into the furniture body (6) with the body door (8), and the door hinge (9) is mounted on the insulated door (4) to make it rotatable and the body The refrigerator (1) in which the door (8) is fixed to the insulated door (4).
18. The refrigerator (1) according to claim 17, wherein the insulated door (4) is fixedly connected to the body door (8).
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the body door (8) protrudes behind the insulated door (4) on at least one corner, and the opening device (10) is provided on the inside side of the body door (8) for discharge in an area exceeded. Refrigerator (1) working with element (110).
delete The refrigerator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the door opening angle is less than 35°.
The refrigerator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (100) has a depth (t) of less than 47 mm.
The refrigerator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (100) has a depth (t) of 38 mm to 47 mm.
12. The refrigerator (1) according to claim 11, wherein the force accumulator is a torsion spring acting on the discharge element (110).

Images