WO2003038356A1

WO2003038356A1 - Refrigerating appliance comprising adjustable shelves

Info

Publication number: WO2003038356A1
Application number: PCT/EP2002/011319
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karlheinz Färber; Theo Haftlmeier
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2001-10-31
Filing date: 2002-10-09
Publication date: 2003-05-08
Also published as: RU2004112418A; ATE522778T1; CN1322294C; CN1578896A; ES2368423T3; EP1442261A1; DE10153621A1; US20040195945A1; BR0213571A; EP1442261B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerating appliance comprising a housing (2, 3) that encloses an interior space. According to the invention, a shelf (1) can be mounted at different heights on walls (2) of the housing by means of brackets (8) that are each joined to one of the walls (2) in a manner that enables them to pivot about a first axis (A1) and joined to the shelf (1) in a manner that enables them to pivot about a second axis (A2) that is offset with regard to the first axis (A1).

Description

Refrigerator with adjustable shelves

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, such as a refrigerator or freezer, and in particular to the problem of user-friendly division of the interior of such a refrigerator using one or more shelves.

Conventionally, a height adjustability of such shelves is achieved in that when the inner container of such a refrigeration device is formed, a plurality of horizontal grooves are formed at different heights on the side walls of the inner container, into which the shelves can be inserted.

However, the flexibility in the interior layout that can be achieved with this traditional solution is limited. It is generally not possible to set inclined positions of the shelves, which may be desirable for quick removal and filling, especially when it comes to storing a large number of uniform objects on a shelf for successive removal.

Another disadvantage of this known solution is the practically lacking possibility of correcting the position of the shelves as needed when they are loaded. Often, especially when a user has to store large amounts of groceries in a refrigerator, the problem arises that it is only towards the end of the loading process, when space in the refrigerator becomes scarce, that the current positions of the shelves for accommodation become apparent of the existing refrigerated goods is not optimal, and that one of the existing compartments lacks storage height, while in an adjacent compartment there is height that cannot be used reasonably. In such a condition, pulling out a loaded shelf and reattaching it higher or lower is very difficult, if not impossible. With some refrigeration unit designs, an insufficient maximum opening angle of the door prevents a shelf from being pulled out in an exactly horizontal orientation, and of course, if it is possible to pull it out, there is a risk of refrigerated goods falling down. In such a situation, the user therefore often has no choice but to largely unload the refrigerator and then try to use it to be re-arranged in a more space-saving manner or to hang a shelf before re-arranging.

There is therefore a need for a refrigeration device which allows greater flexibility in the division of its interior space with the aid of shelves, and which in particular allows the inclination of shelves and / or the adjustment of shelves when loaded.

This object is achieved by a refrigeration device with the features of claim 1. The pivotability of the support arms here permits height adjustment of a shelf guided by the support arms, for the implementation of which it is not necessary to remove the shelf completely from the refrigeration device. If these support arms can be swiveled independently of one another, they enable various inclinations of the shelf.

According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, a pivotable support arm and a horizontally displaceable suspension are present on each edge of the shelf. By pivoting the support arm up and down, this allows the shelf to be adjusted between two differently inclined positions, the horizontally displaceable suspension defining an axis for the pivoting movement of the shelf.

Such a construction enables z. B. the adjustment of the shelf between a horizontal and a downward to the front or to the door or to the rear or to the rear wall of the refrigerator. Such a sloping position of the shelf can e.g. be useful for lying storage of cans or bottles that always roll on the sloping shelf to the lower edge, where they can be easily removed.

In a second preferred embodiment of the refrigeration device, two pivotable support arms are provided on each side edge of the shelf, which are referred to as front and rear support arms. Such a shelf is capable of a horizontal upper rest position in which the second axis runs above the first axis of each support arm, a lower rest position in which the second axis below the first The axis of each support arm runs and one or two oblique rest positions, in which the second axes of the front and rear support arms are each at different heights. The variety of possible positions is thus increased compared to the first embodiment, and in particular a guided parallel displacement of the shelf between two horizontal positions is possible at different heights.

In a third preferred embodiment, at least three pivotable support arms are provided on each side edge of the shelf. Such a shelf is only adjustable between horizontal positions; a change from a horizontal to an oblique position is excluded by the third bracket. This configuration is therefore particularly suitable for the above-mentioned problem of height adjustment of the shelves when loaded.

If the support arms arranged on opposite side edges of the shelf are not coupled to one another, it is possible to bring the support arms into different rest positions on different side edges and thus to make the shelf sloping in the lateral direction. This variant has the advantage over the slope in the forward / backward direction that there is no risk of the refrigerated goods falling out, since it is always supported on the lower side edge by the side wall of the refrigerator housing.

In order to block the possibility of sloping the shelves in the lateral direction, support arms can be connected to one another in pairs. This is again useful for the height adjustment of loaded shelves.

In particular in the case of a shelf that can be inclined in the forward-backward direction, it is expedient if a catch device for refrigerated goods is attached to a front and / or rear edge thereof, which prevents refrigerated goods from falling out when changing to the inclined position.

While the lower horizontal rest position of the shelf, in which the second axis of each swivel arm connected to the shelf lies perpendicularly below its first axis, is inherently stable, the diametrically opposite orientation corresponds to the support arms in which the shelf is raised, an unstable balance. In order to achieve a stable raised rest position, it is expedient if, in the upper rest position of each support arm, its second axis is closer to a rear wall of the interior than to the first axis, so that the shelf with part of its weight and that of it supports the stored goods on the rear wall of the interior.

The support arms can be designed in a simple manner as double-bent metal pins, with a first pin for engaging in an opening in the wall and a second pin for engaging in a recess in the shelf, and an intermediate section angled against the pin, connecting them.

To secure the shelf in its raised position, at least one device for locking such a support arm is desirable. This can be formed in a simple manner by an elastically displaceable tongue with a stop surface oriented transversely to the direction of displacement of the tongue, which - preferably in the relaxed state of the tongue - supports a side of the intermediate section facing the rear wall of the refrigerator.

For simple assembly of the shelf, it is desirable that the recess provided thereon for receiving the second pin is open at the bottom. This makes it possible first to insert the support arms into the openings in the side walls and then to place the shelf on the second pins projecting from the side wall and to insert the second pins into the recesses from below.

The cutouts and the pins are preferably dimensioned such that the pins are each clamped in the cutouts. This prevents the pins from falling out of the recesses when the plate is raised, instead of following the movement of the plate.

Such a clamp seat can be implemented well on a plastic body which is separate from the shelf and preferably plug-connected to it. Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached figures. Show it:

Figure 1 is a partial perspective section through the housing of a refrigerator with an adjustable shelf according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the shelf in two different horizontal rest positions.

3 shows a side view of the shelf in the lower horizontal rest position, an intermediate position and an oblique rest position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with a shelf in the oblique rest position;

5 shows a detailed view of a support arm and its attachment to a side wall of the refrigerator housing and to the shelf;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting body for holding the

Support arm on the shelf;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a corner of the shelf with a locking device for a support arm.

8 shows a side view of the corner of the shelf and the locking device from FIG. 7;

9 shows a schematic illustration of a shelf in a position inclined to a side wall;

10 shows a front view of a shelf with support arms coupled in pairs; 11 shows a modified form of the connection between the support arm and the shelf;

12 shows a side view analogous to FIG. 2 of a shelf that is adjustable between two horizontal rest positions, but cannot assume an inclined position; and

13 shows a modification of the shelf of FIG. 3.

1 illustrates the principle of the invention using a perspective view of a shelf 1 and part of a side wall 2 and a rear wall 3 of a refrigeration device. The walls 2, 3 of the refrigerator are constructed in a conventional manner from an inner container 4 thermoformed from plastic, an outer wall 5 and a layer of insulating foam 6 filling the space between the inner container 4 and the outer wall 5. The inner container 4 is flat in the region of the side wall 2 with Exception of blind holes 7, which are recessed during the drawing process, two of which can be seen cut open in the figure and two more each rotatably hold a first pin 10 of a support arm 8 for the shelf 1.

Each support arm 8 comprises a first pin 10 which engages in a blind hole 7 of the side wall and which defines a first horizontal pivot axis A1 of the support arm. A second pin 11, which defines a second pivot axis A2 parallel to the first axis A1, engages on the shelf 1 in a manner described in more detail later. Both are connected by an intermediate section 12 oriented essentially orthogonally to the pins. The support arms 8 can be produced in a simple manner by bending a round metal rod.

Two support arms 8, not shown, hold the shelf 1 on the second side wall, not shown.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, the support arms 8 hang loosely down from the blind holes 7, the plane defined by the axes A1, A2 is vertical, and the shelf 1 is in a stable lower horizontal rest position. By pulling the shelf forward towards the door of the refrigeration the support arms 8 pivot, and the shelf 1 is raised in accordance with the pivoting movement.

By supporting and lifting the partially pulled out shelf by hand, it can be brought into a second rest position, in which the shelf is shown in dashed lines in the side view of FIG. 2. In this second rest position, which is also horizontal, the intermediate sections 12 of the support arms 8 extend essentially vertically upwards, with a slight inclination to the rear, towards the rear wall 3 of the housing. This inclination has the effect that the shelf 1 presses against the rear wall 3 with a force that corresponds to a small part of its mass and that of the refrigerated goods stored on it, and is thus stable even in the raised rest position.

In order to prevent the shelf 1 from inadvertently folding down into the lower rest position in the event of a shock or slight pulling on the shelf 1, a device for locking the support arms 8 in the raised position is expediently provided, which is not shown in FIG. 2 and will be described in more detail later.

On the way from the lower to the upper rest position, the shelf 1 passes through a position drawn solid in the side view of FIG. 3, in which the intermediate sections 12 of the support arms are oriented horizontally and the two axes A1, A2 lie in a horizontal plane , From this position each support arm 8 can continue to rotate both upwards and downwards. This makes it possible to set inclined positions of the shelf 1, as shown in FIG. 3 as a dash-dotted outline.

In the position shown in phantom in FIG. 3, the rear support arm 8 facing the rear wall 3 is lowered, while the front support arm 8 facing the door is raised. The shelf 1 is sloping towards the rear wall 3, and objects stored thereon tend to collect on the rear wall.

However, it is also possible to set the position of the shelf 1 shown in the perspective view of FIG. 4, which slopes down towards the door 14 of the refrigerator. In order to prevent refrigerated goods from falling out, the shelf 1 is here equipped with a collecting device 15 in the form of a plurality of vertical plates which, similar to the tines of a rake, extend from the front edge of the Prongs of a rake arranged to extend upwards from the front edge of the shelf 1 in order to hold round containers, such as bottles or cans, lying on the shelf formed here as a grid. Such a configuration is useful, for example, for a refrigeration device that contains drinks for sale in bottles or cans: for loading a shelf, it can be placed in a horizontal or sloping position so that the containers can be conveniently inserted at the front edge. After the shelf has been fully loaded, it is brought into the sloping position shown in FIG. 4, so that each time a container is removed from the front edge of the shelf 1, a container behind it moves up and thus all containers are conveniently and quickly removed in sequence can be.

5 is a detailed view of a support arm 8 and its attachment to the shelf according to a first embodiment. The figure clearly shows the first pin 10 inserted into the blind hole 7 of the side wall 2, the second pin 11 connected to the shelf 1, the pivot axes A1, A2 defined by the pins and the intermediate section 12. The shelf 1 is essentially made of here a glass plate 17 is formed, which is enclosed in a circumferential profile 18 made of metal or a hard, resilient plastic. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 1, the profile 18 has two recesses on each side edge of the shelf 1, into which a connecting body 19 made of a tough, slightly deformable plastic material such as Delrin is inserted.

6 shows this connecting body 19 in a perspective view. Starting from a cover plate 20, which is rifflable on its upper side for better manageability, two legs 21 extend downward, which delimit between them a recess or groove 22 with a cross section adapted to the cross section of the second pin 11. The groove 22 is dimensioned such that the second pin 11 is clamped in it and can be rotated under friction, and it is narrowed slightly in its lower region, so that it is possible to insert the pin 11 into the groove 22 from below to press, but this can not fall out of the groove 22 when a user supports the shelf 1 with his hand in order to bring it into a raised rest position. In its lower, distal region, the two legs 21 are each extended laterally by a tongue 23 which, together with the cover plate 20, holds the lateral edge of the shelf 1 clamped.

As already mentioned, a locking device is useful for securing the support arms 8 in the raised position. An example of such a locking device will now be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the front right corner of the shelf 1, on the underside of which such a locking device is arranged. On the left front corner of the shelf there is a locking device which is mirror-inverted to that shown in FIG. 7.

Fig. 8 shows the corner and the locking device in side view. From the profile 18, which forms the lateral edge of the shelf 1, a short pin 25 extends downwards, which carries a tongue 26 which is flexible in the direction of the arrow P. Starting from the pin 25, the tongue 26 comprises, in its relaxed position shown in FIG. 7, a section 27 parallel to the lateral edge of the shelf 1, a section 28 extending obliquely outwards at an acute angle to the lateral edge, a locking section in FIG Form of a stop surface 29 perpendicular to the lateral edge and an actuating section 30. In the position shown, the stop surface 29 blocks rotation of the support arm 8 in the direction of the arrows P2 from FIG. 8 and thus holds the shelf 1 in the raised position. If a user wishes to lower the shelf, it is sufficient to push the actuating section 30 slightly to the side, upwards in FIG. 7, so that the stop surface 29 releases the support arm 8. When the shelf 1 is raised, the actuation of the locking device is not necessary, since the support arm 8 automatically pushes the inclined section 28 aside until the upper rest position is reached and the stop surface 29 engages behind the support arm 8 in the position shown in FIG. 7 ,

Since the support arms 8, which engage in opposite side walls 2 of the refrigerator housing, can be moved independently of one another, a user has the option, from the position of the shelf 1 shown in solid lines in FIG. 3, in which the intermediate sections 12 of the support arms 8 are oriented horizontally to further raise the support arms 8 on one side wall, in Fig. 9 the right side wall, while it allows them to return to their low position on the opposite side wall. To this The side, sloping position of the shelf 1 shown in front view in FIG. 9 is adjustable. This position also makes it possible to hold round objects, such as cans and bottles, on one side of the shelf 1 when they are stored horizontally. The higher-lying, free area of the shelf 1 can thus be continuously refilled, and if the lowest-lying container of a shelf is removed in each case, it is ensured that it is only the one who has been on the shelf for the longest time and who is probably the one is best chilled.

If a user has the need to prevent this possibility of inclination, this can be achieved with the aid of support arms 8 'coupled in pairs, as shown in FIG. 10. Here, a support arm of the right and an opposite support arm of the left side wall 2 are connected in one piece by a rod extending below the shelf 1, so that they can only be raised or lowered together.

Simple support arms 8 and support arms 8 'connected in pairs can be supplied as accessories for optional use by a user with the refrigeration device according to the invention, so that each user can decide for himself whether he wants to use the inclination option or not.

11 shows an alternative type of connection of a support arm 8 to the shelf 1 on the basis of a cut parallel to the side edge thereof. If the material of the shelf 1 or of its frame profile 18 has a certain elasticity, it is possible to replace the connecting body 19 by the one-piece solution shown here, in which the legs 21, the groove 22 for receiving the second pin 11 limit, are integrally formed on the shelf 1 or frame 18.

A further modification of the suspension of the shelf 1 is shown in Fig. 12 in a side view analogous to the representation of Figs. 2 and 3 are shown. This modification differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 only in the presence of a third support arm 8 on each side edge of the shelf 1. If the shelf 1 of FIG. 12 is raised here from the solid position, this third bracket prevents that starting from the intermediate position with horizontal intermediate sections 12 of the support arms 8, front and rear support arms in different before directions can be swiveled. It is thus impossible for a user to inadvertently set a position of the shelf 1 sloping forward or backward, in which there is a risk of the refrigerated goods falling out or falling over. This modification is therefore particularly well suited to adapting the heights of the shelves to current needs in a loaded refrigerator.

Here, too, a user can be given a simple choice as to whether he wants to use the inclination option or to lock it, by arranging the blind holes 7 on each side wall of the refrigerator housing at least three in a horizontal row and the shelves on each side edge with a corresponding number of recesses 22 are provided. Depending on whether the user equips two or more of these blind holes 7 and recesses 22 with support arms 8, he can determine whether the inclination is possible or not.

13 shows a perspective view of a simplified modification of the suspension of the shelf 1, in which there is only one pivotable support arm 8 on each side edge of the shelf 1. The second support arm is replaced by a rigid pin 31, which is horizontally displaceable in the direction of arrow P3 in an elongated hole 32 formed in the side wall of the refrigerator housing. In this embodiment, the height of the area of the shelf carried by the pin 31 and facing the rear wall 3 of the refrigerator housing cannot be changed; only the front area can be adjusted between a horizontal and a sloping position or between two sloping positions in different directions.

Claims

claims

1. Refrigerating appliance with a housing enclosing an interior and at least one shelf (1) which can be mounted in the interior at different heights on walls (3) of the housing, characterized in that the

Shelf (1) is mounted on the walls (3) via support arms (8, 8 '), each pivotable about a first axis (A1) with one of the walls (3) and about a second offset against the first axis (A1) Axis (A2) are pivotally connected to the shelf (1).

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that a pivotable support arm (8) and a horizontally displaceable suspension (31) are provided on each side edge of the shelf (1).

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that on each side

Edge of the shelf (1) two pivotable support arms (8), referred to as the front or rear support arm, are present, and that the shelf (1) is capable of an upper rest position in which the second axis (A2) above the first axis (A1) of each support arm (8), a lower rest position, in which the second axis (A2) extends below the first axis (A1) of each support arm (8), and at least one oblique rest position, in which the second axis (A2) of the front support arm below the first (A1) and the second axis (A2) of the rear support arm (8) above the first (A1) or the second axis (A2) of the front support arm (8) above the first (A1 ) and the second axis (A2) of the rear support arm (8) runs below the first (A1).

4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that at least three pivotable support arms (8) are provided on each side edge of the shelf (1).

5. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that the support arms arranged on a first lateral edge of the shelf (1) can be brought into a different rest position than the support arms (8) attached to an opposite second lateral edge. -

6. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that on opposite lateral edges of the shelf (1) attached support arms (8 ') are each connected in pairs.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a catch device (15) for refrigerated goods is attached to a front and / or rear edge of the shelf.

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in an upper rest position of each support arm (8) whose second axis (A2) is closer to a rear wall (3) of the interior than its first axis (A1).

9. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one device (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30) for locking a support arm (8) at least in its raised position.

10. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each support arm (8) has a first pin (10) for engaging in an opening (7) of the wall and a second pin (11) for engaging in a recess (22) of the Shelf and an angled against the pins (10, 11) connecting the pins intermediate section (12).

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9 and claim 10, characterized in that the device for locking a support arm comprises an elastically displaceable tongue (26) with a stop surface (29) for supporting a side of the intermediate section (12) facing the rear wall (3).

12. The refrigerator according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the recess (22) is open at the bottom and the second pin (11) is clamped in the recess (22).

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 12, characterized in that the recess

(22) is formed in a plastic body (19) connected to the shelf.