US20040226314A1 - Under-counter refrigerator - Google Patents

Under-counter refrigerator Download PDF

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Publication number
US20040226314A1
US20040226314A1 US10/839,569 US83956904A US2004226314A1 US 20040226314 A1 US20040226314 A1 US 20040226314A1 US 83956904 A US83956904 A US 83956904A US 2004226314 A1 US2004226314 A1 US 2004226314A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
flap
freezing compartment
refrigerator according
compartment
pull
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US10/839,569
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Christoph Becke
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of US20040226314A1 publication Critical patent/US20040226314A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
    • F25D11/02—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators with cooling compartments at different temperatures
    • 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
    • F25D23/025—Secondary closures
    • 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
    • F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
    • F25D2400/08—Refrigerator tables
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a table refrigerator with a housing that surrounds an interior space and wherein the interior space is divided into at least one freezing compartment and one normal refrigerating compartment.
  • the freezing compartment forms an upper portion of the interior space, and the bottom of the freezing compartment is at the same time the ceiling of the normal refrigerating compartment.
  • the normal refrigerating compartment is cooled partially by heat exchange with the freezing compartment, use being made of the fact that air which has cooled on the ceiling of the normal refrigerating compartment flows downward in the normal refrigerating compartment and thus ensures a uniform temperature distribution in the latter.
  • the overall height of what may be referred to as table refrigerators is generally no more than approximately 1.20 m.
  • the result of placing the freezing compartment in the upper region of the interior space in the conventional way is that a user has to kneel down in front of the appliance so that he can look into the freezing compartment. In this position, he is forced to look in the horizontal direction, thus leading to an unnatural and uncomfortable body posture which, in particular, elderly or physically disabled persons may find difficult to assume.
  • a table refrigerator comprising:
  • the interior space being divided into a normal refrigerating compartment and at least one freezing compartment disposed underneath the refrigerating compartment;
  • a pull-out frozen-product carrier disposed in the freezing compartment.
  • the objects of the invention are achieved, in that the freezing compartment is arranged underneath the normal refrigerating compartment and it is equipped with a pull-out frozen-product carrier.
  • the compressor of the refrigerator is preferably accommodated in an upper region of the latter.
  • the freezing compartment be closable by means of a flap which, to open it, can be pivoted downward about a horizontal axis.
  • This flap in the pulled-out state, may serve at the same time for supporting the pulled-out frozen-product carrier, so that a complicated rail mechanism for guiding the latter is not necessary.
  • the flap in its open state, lies on the bottom of the interior space, so that the weight of the frozen-product carrier carried, in the pulled-out state, essentially by the flap is transferred via the latter directly onto the bottom of the interior space.
  • a stop which limits the pull-out movement of the frozen-product carrier can be formed by a projection on the door of the refrigerator, in particular by a spar which is integrally formed on the inside of the door and to which a door storage compartment can be fastened, or by just such a storage compartment.
  • such a stop may also be formed directly by a projection produced on the flap itself.
  • the freezing compartment is arranged in the lower region of the interior space of the refrigerator, then, contrary to the conventional arrangement, heat exchange between the freezing compartment and the normal refrigerating compartment is undesirable, since it would lead to temperature stratification in the normal refrigerating compartment.
  • the freezing compartment is therefore effectively insulated thermally both relative to the surroundings of the refrigerator and relative to the normal refrigerating compartment, preferably by means of a hollow wall arranged between the freezing compartment and the normal refrigerating compartment and filled with heat-insulating material, by the flap being designed as a hollow body filled with heat-insulating material and, not least, by the wall thickness of the housing being greater in the surroundings of the freezing compartment than in the surroundings of the normal refrigerating compartment.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a section (along the line I-I in FIG. 3A) through a refrigerator according to the invention, with the door open and with the flap of the freezing compartment closed;
  • FIG. 2 is a similar view of the table refrigerator of FIG. 1, with the flap open and with the frozen-product carrier partially pulled out;
  • FIG. 3A is a horizontal section through the table refrigerator of FIG. 1, at the level of the freezing compartment;
  • FIG. 3B is a horizontal section through the table refrigerator with the frozen-product carrier pulled out, at the same level as the section of FIG. 3A;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a flap of the freezing compartment according to a second embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a partial section through a refrigerator with the freezing compartment flap from FIG. 1 and with a frozen-product carrier adapted specially to this flap.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a diagrammatic vertical section through a table refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention.
  • a housing 2 of the appliance 1 is constructed in a way known per se from an outer wall 3 , from an inner container 4 deep-drawn in one piece from a plastic sheet, and from insulating foam material 5 which fills an interspace between the outer wall 3 and the inner container 4 .
  • a rear upper corner of the housing 2 i.e., a corner facing away from the door 6 , accommodates a compressor 7 which, together with other devices such as evaporators, a heat exchanger, and so on, forms the refrigerating machine of the table refrigerator 1 .
  • An interior space 8 of the table refrigerator 1 is divided and subdivided into a normal refrigerating compartment 9 and a freezing compartment 10 .
  • the normal refrigerating compartment 9 occupies the upper three quarters of the interior space 8 and is subdivided by a plurality of compartment floors 11 .
  • a pull-out box 12 for vegetables or the like.
  • the freezing compartment 10 is upwardly separated from the normal refrigerating compartment 9 by way of a horizontal hollow wall 13 which is filled with foam material 5 in exactly the same way as the side walls of the housing 2 .
  • This hollow wall 13 can be produced in one piece with the inner container 4 in the same deep-drawing process in which the latter was formed; it may also be inserted subsequently as an intermediate wall into the inner container 4 originally formed with a continuous cavity.
  • the thickness of the foam material 5 which insulates the freezing compartment 10 relative to the surroundings is greater than in the insulation of the normal refrigerating compartment 9 .
  • a step 14 is formed on the bottom of the inner container 4 and constitutes a limit of the freezing compartment 10 forward toward the door 6 .
  • the height of the step corresponds to the thickness of a door flap 15 which closes the front side of the freezing compartment 10 .
  • the flap 15 is a plastic hollow body that is filled with the same insulating foam material 5 as the side walls.
  • the flap 15 is pivotable about a horizontal axis of rotation which runs through a lower end portion 16 of the flap 15 that has a rounded cross section.
  • a central portion 19 On the inside of the flap 15 facing the freezing compartment 10 there is formed a central portion 19 , the thickness of which is greater than that of edge regions surrounding the latter all-round. In the closed state of the flap 15 , the edge regions lie against the step 14 , against the front edge of the wall 13 and against corresponding shoulder surfaces of the side walls. The the central portion 19 projects into the interior of the freezing compartment 10 .
  • a pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 here in the form of a plastic box similar to the pull-out box 12 , but with a base area somewhat reduced as compared with the box 12 .
  • FIG. 2 shows a second illustration, similar to FIG. 1, of the table refrigerator, in which the flap 15 is pivoted out of its closed position shown in FIG. 1 into an open position. In the open position, the flap 15 lies flat on the bottom 18 of the inner container. Since the height of the step 14 corresponds to the thickness of the flap 15 , in this open position of the flap 15 the inner surface of the latter, more precisely its central portion 19 projecting in the closed state into the interior of the freezing compartment 10 , is located level with the bottom 20 of the freezing compartment 10 .
  • the height of the flap 15 is selected such that, when the door 6 stands open at an angle of 90°, projections formed on the inside of the door 6 , specifically compartment floors 21 or spars 22 carrying the compartment floors 21 and integrally formed on the inside of the door 6 , do not obstruct the pivoting of the flap 15 downward against the bottom 18 .
  • FIG. 3A shows a section through the table refrigerator, level with the freezing compartment 10 , with the flap 15 closed. It can be seen that, at the lateral edges of the flap 15 , in exactly the same way as can be seen in FIG. 1 for the upper and lower edge of the latter, a gap 23 between the inner container 4 and the flap 15 is doubly angled, so that only slight air exchange, if at all, is possible through the gap 23 between the freezing compartment 10 and the normal refrigerating compartment 9 .
  • FIG. 3B shows a similar section through the table refrigerator 1 , with the flap 15 open, with the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 pulled out of the freezing compartment 10 .
  • the carrier butts with a front edge against a spar 22 of the door 6 which stands open at 90°. The latter thus limits the freedom of pull-out movement of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 , so that the latter cannot be inadvertently pulled out too far and fall out of the table refrigerator 1 . It is possible, however, to remove the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 completely, in that it is lifted at its front edge in the position shown in FIG. 3B and is tilted into a vertical position. A cutout 24 in the side walls of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 that allows such lifting and pivoting is indicated in FIG. 2.
  • the depth of the freezing compartment 10 or of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 is markedly greater than that between the front edge of the wall 13 and the stop formed here by the spar 22 , it is also possible to select the two sizes identically or, at most, to select the depth so that it is slightly greater than the distance, so that, in the completely pulled-out state of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 , virtually the entire top side of the latter is freely accessible and the pull-out carrier 17 can be lifted out of the appliance without difficulty.
  • the cutout 24 is not required in this case.
  • FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the flap 15 ′ of a table refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the invention, in the swung-open position.
  • the flap differs from that shown in FIG. 2 in a plurality of stop projections 26 which are arranged along the inner edge, which is the upper edge in the closed state of the flap 15 ′, and its upper edge, which is on the right in the open position of FIG. 4.
  • the stop projections 26 serve as stops for limiting the pull-out movement of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 . They limit the pull-out movement reliably even when the door 6 of the table refrigerator can be opened over more than 90° and its spars 22 and compartment floors 21 therefore do not provide a secure abutment.
  • the bottom of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 may be planar here, in exactly the same way as in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 , so that in each case a door-facing front wall of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 butts against the stop projections 26 .
  • the bottom of the latter has provided on it, in each case in positions corresponding to the stop projections 26 of the flap 15 ′, grooves 27 which emanate from the front wall 28 of the pull-out carrier 17 ′, but which do not reach the rear wall 29 of the pull-out carrier 17 ′.
  • the length of the grooves 27 is defined in such a way that the stop projections 26 in each case butt against an end face 30 of the groove 27 shortly before the rear wall 29 of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 ′, when the latter is being pulled out, comes out from under the horizontal hollow wall 13 .
  • the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 ′ even when its depth is substantially greater than its height, can be pulled out of the freezing compartment 10 virtually completely, without the risk of falling out, and the entire contents of the pull-out frozen-product carrier 17 ′ can be seen by a user.

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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)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
  • Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
US10/839,569 2001-11-05 2004-05-05 Under-counter refrigerator Abandoned US20040226314A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE10154273A DE10154273A1 (de) 2001-11-05 2001-11-05 Tischkühlgerät
DE10154273.9 2001-11-05
PCT/EP2002/012080 WO2003040632A1 (de) 2001-11-05 2002-10-29 Tischkühlgerät

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2002/012080 Continuation WO2003040632A1 (de) 2001-11-05 2002-10-29 Tischkühlgerät

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20040226314A1 true US20040226314A1 (en) 2004-11-18

Family

ID=7704663

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US10/839,569 Abandoned US20040226314A1 (en) 2001-11-05 2004-05-05 Under-counter refrigerator

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US20040226314A1 (de)
EP (1) EP1444470A1 (de)
DE (1) DE10154273A1 (de)
WO (1) WO2003040632A1 (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070078475A1 (en) * 2005-09-30 2007-04-05 Restoration Robotics, Inc. Tool assembly for harvesting and implanting follicular units
DE102008037951A1 (de) 2008-08-14 2010-02-25 Nawotec Gmbh Verfahren zum elektronenstrahlinduzierten Ätzen von mit Gallium verunreinigten Schichten

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10236214B4 (de) * 2002-08-07 2004-09-30 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Kältegerät mit unterteiltem Innenraum
DE10339938A1 (de) * 2003-08-29 2005-03-24 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Kältegerät
DE102015014696A1 (de) * 2015-10-02 2017-04-06 Liebherr-Hausgeräte Lienz Gmbh Kühlschrank mit innenliegendem Gefrierteil

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2171712A (en) * 1935-10-25 1939-09-05 Refrigeration Patents Corp Household refrigerator
US3246939A (en) * 1963-11-15 1966-04-19 Gen Motors Corp Door-operated sliding basket
US4095439A (en) * 1976-12-10 1978-06-20 Whirlpool Corporation Movable ice receptacle
US4790146A (en) * 1986-03-04 1988-12-13 Sam Sung Electronics Co., Ltd. Refrigerator
US5758512A (en) * 1996-10-16 1998-06-02 Whirlpool Corporation Multi-compartment refrigeration system
US6351967B1 (en) * 1999-08-06 2002-03-05 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Refrigerator with a freezer compartment

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB765251A (en) * 1954-03-25 1957-01-09 Gen Motors Corp Improved refrigerator
IT1178089B (it) * 1984-01-20 1987-09-09 Merloni Elettrodomestici Spa Apparecchio frigorifera a sistema refrigerante differenziato per il congelatore e per il frigorifero
IT213781Z2 (it) * 1988-05-04 1990-03-01 Eurodomestici Ind Riunite Apparecchio refrigerante del tipo ventilato, con scomparto specializzato per carni e pesci.
DE4433712A1 (de) * 1994-09-21 1996-03-28 Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete Kühlmöbel mit wenigstens zwei Fächern unterschiedlicher Temperatur
DE29603848U1 (de) * 1996-03-01 1997-05-28 Liebherr Hausgeraete Kühlschrank mit einem Kühlfach und einem Kaltlagerfach
JPH10311664A (ja) * 1997-05-09 1998-11-24 Matsushita Refrig Co Ltd 冷蔵庫
DE19751309A1 (de) * 1997-11-19 1999-05-20 Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete Kühlgerät
JPH11183014A (ja) * 1997-12-18 1999-07-06 Hitachi Ltd 冷蔵庫
JP3404334B2 (ja) * 1999-09-20 2003-05-06 松下冷機株式会社 棚装置及びこの棚装置を備えた冷蔵庫
DE20000782U1 (de) * 2000-01-18 2001-06-07 Liebherr Hausgeraete Tür, vorzugsweise Gefrierfachtür

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2171712A (en) * 1935-10-25 1939-09-05 Refrigeration Patents Corp Household refrigerator
US3246939A (en) * 1963-11-15 1966-04-19 Gen Motors Corp Door-operated sliding basket
US4095439A (en) * 1976-12-10 1978-06-20 Whirlpool Corporation Movable ice receptacle
US4790146A (en) * 1986-03-04 1988-12-13 Sam Sung Electronics Co., Ltd. Refrigerator
US5758512A (en) * 1996-10-16 1998-06-02 Whirlpool Corporation Multi-compartment refrigeration system
US6351967B1 (en) * 1999-08-06 2002-03-05 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Refrigerator with a freezer compartment

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070078475A1 (en) * 2005-09-30 2007-04-05 Restoration Robotics, Inc. Tool assembly for harvesting and implanting follicular units
DE102008037951A1 (de) 2008-08-14 2010-02-25 Nawotec Gmbh Verfahren zum elektronenstrahlinduzierten Ätzen von mit Gallium verunreinigten Schichten

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE10154273A1 (de) 2003-05-15
EP1444470A1 (de) 2004-08-11
WO2003040632A1 (de) 2003-05-15

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