WO2006120098A1

WO2006120098A1 - Refrigerating device having a flap with a restricted opening motion

Info

Publication number: WO2006120098A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/061381
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carsten Jung; Martin Ziegler
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2005-05-10
Filing date: 2006-04-06
Publication date: 2006-11-16
Also published as: DE102005021564A1; RU2007136726A; CN101171479A; EP1846708A1

Abstract

In a refrigerating device having a carcass which delimits a cold chamber, and at least one compartment arranged in the cold chamber and accessible via a pivotable flap (30) held in an open position by a holding strap (35), the holding strap has two holding elements, a first element which is held on the flap and a second element which is an eyelet (37) which surrounds in a rotary manner a bearing section (27) of a bolt (24) fixed to the carcass. The bolt (24) has a bead (28) which prevents the eyelet (37) from slipping from the bearing section. The eyelet (37) has a non-circular inner cross-section and the bead (28) has an outer cross-section that matches the inner cross-section and makes it possible to push the eyelet (37) over the bead (28) in a particular angular position determined by the shape of the cross-sections.

Description

Refrigerating appliance with opening-limited flap

The present invention relates to a refrigerator with a cold room, in which a receiving compartment is divided and accessible via a hinged flap. Such a device may, for example, be a refrigerator with compartmentalized frost compartment, or a freezer whose refrigeration compartment is subdivided into a plurality of compartments.

To stabilize the flap in its open position, z. B. DE 198 17 765 A1 discloses to provide a tether, one end of which is formed on the flap and the other as an eyelet which rotatably surrounds a bearing portion of a bolt which is anchored in a recess of the wall of the cold room.

In order to ensure that the eyelet does not jump off in use from the bearing portion, at its end facing away from the wall, a bead is formed whose outer diameter is greater than the free inner diameter of the eyelet, and this makes it very difficult, the eyelet on the Raise bearing section. In order to pull the eyelet over the bead, the material of the eyelet would have to be stretchable, which is disadvantageous in a one-piece molded with the eyelet tether, because the tether then can define no stop position of the open flap. Making the diameter difference between the bead and eyelet deviating from the representation in DE 198 17 765 A1 so small that the eyelet, without being appreciably stretchable, can be pushed over the bead on the bearing portion under the force of force, there is the danger that even if during the opening and closing of the flap, the eyelet turns around the bolt, it slides on the bead and gets stuck there, with the result that the flap can not be opened and closed normally and there is a risk that the eyelet breaks off the tether.

The object of the invention is to improve with simple design measures, a refrigeration device according to the prior art. The inventive solution is achieved in a cost effective manner, on the one hand a much easier installation of the bearing on the tether and at the abutment point on the cold room wall or the cooling compartment flap. On the other hand, by the compatibility of the bearing and the Guaranteed counter-bearing point under a certain rotational position to each other that the assembled, forming a rotary bearing bearing partners are secured under operating conditions in use in their joining position positively in the axial direction of the pivot bearing. The invention also facilitates the subsequent replacement of a defective tether against a new one.

Further advantages are achieved according to a preferred embodiment in that the eyelet has a non-circular inner cross section and the bead has a complementary to the inner cross section outer cross section, which allows to push the eyelet in a determined by the shape of the cross sections rotational position over the bead away.

As long as the eyelet is not in the specific rotational position, it can not overcome the bead, so that accidental sliding of the eyelet from the bolt or slipping the eyelet on the bead during actuation of the flap and a resulting clamping the eyelet on the bead excluded is.

Preferably, the non-circular inner cross section of the eyelet is realized by a substantially circular inner cross section with at least one radially inwardly directed projection.

Accordingly, if the inner cross section has a plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced projections, then there are a plurality of rotational positions in which the eyelet can be slid over the bead. This makes it easier during assembly to find such a rotational position, so that the assembly is quick and easy to carry out.

The bolt-mounted eyelet may have a greater extent than the bearing portion thereof with respect to the axial direction of the bolt so as to at least partially surround the bead. Preferably, it has at least the same extent as the bearing portion and the bead of the bolt together, so that the non-circular outer periphery of the bead remains hidden inside the eyelet. On the one hand to ensure a small clearance of the eyelet on the bearing portion and on the other hand easy rotation of the eyelet about the bolt, it is preferred that the eyelet has the substantially circular inner cross section with the at least one radially inwardly directed projection on a first portion of its axial extent, and that in a second section it has a larger diameter circular cross-section than in the first section.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Fig. 1 schematically simplifies the upper portion of a freezer, the two upper freezers are closed with a pivotable in a horizontal storage position and held in this position by tethers flap, in a lateral section;

Fig. 2 is a partial section through the flap and the surrounding frame in height of

Line II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of a tether and serving for its attachment to the inner wall of the freezer bolt;

4 is a perspective view of the inner wall of the freezer body facing side of the bolt. and

Fig. 5, the tether in the extended state.

Fig. 1 shows a simplified schematic representation of a trained as a household appliance freezer 10 with a heat-insulating door 11 and a heat-insulating housing 12, which has an outer lining 13, a heat-insulating layer 14 produced by foaming and an inner lining 15 produced by deep-drawing a plastic plate. This is formed on the door-side end portions of its two side walls 16 by deep drawing, - A -

provided approximately vertically stacked blind hole-like receptacles 17 and serves for lining a accessible via the door 11 freezer compartment 18th

The freezer compartment 18 is cooled by an evaporator system 19 with uniformly spaced superimposed, substantially horizontally extending evaporator storage 20 cooled. Due to the vertical distance of the evaporator bearings

20 to each other, the freezer compartment is divided into superposed cold compartments 21, of which the lower lying are equipped for storage of frozen food with drawer-like receptacles 22, while the two higher-lying cold shelves

21 on its front side facing the door 11 can be closed by a flap 30, which is explained in more detail below and can be pivoted about a horizontal axis.

On each side wall 16 are each two of the receptacles 17 at the level of each of the upper compartments 21. The horizontal pivot axis is formed in the present embodiment by two axially equal to each other opposite bearing pin 23, which with a shaft, not shown in the lower lying of the two blind holes 17 on the two side walls 16 are fixed. Above the bearing pin 23 17 retaining bolts 24 are pinned with their non-positively cooperating with the receptacles 17 shaft 25 in the higher, blind hole-like receptacles.

As can be seen in particular in Fig. 2, the retaining pin 24 for limiting the insertion depth of the shaft 25 in the receptacles 17 has a flange 26 which contacts the side wall 16 around the receptacle 17. At the flange 26, a bearing portion 27 connects, which is closed at its end opposite the flange 26 by a retaining bead 28. Further, the retaining pin 24 comprises a locking portion 29, which serve for holding an already mentioned above, for closing the overhead cold compartments 21, is provided substantially cup-shaped flap 30 made of plastic injection molding. For holding in its vertical closed position, the flap 30 is provided on its side walls 31 with edge open to the freezer compartment 18 out, provided with an undercut receptacles 32, in which the locking portion 29 is able to submerge. The above-mentioned bearing pins 23 define the pivot axis of the flap 30 by engaging with their not shown by the side walls 16 projecting pins each in a formed on the side walls 31 of the flap 30 recess 33. The recess 33 is a slot which extends in the closed position of the flap 30 in the vertical direction and thereby allows for releasing the flap 30 from the locking portion 29, an upward movement of the flap 30.

Between the recesses 33 and the undercut receptacles 32 are on the side walls 31 of the flap 30 are provided on the same axis opposite through holes 34. These serve to receive a provided at one of the two free ends of a tether 35 shown in Fig. 4 holding member 36, which is zusammenfüg bar with the through holes 34 in the form of a releasable latching connection. The holding element 36 is integrally connected to the tether 35 produced, for example, from polyamide in the plastic injection molding process. At the second free end of the tether 35 is formed as a further holding element, a bearing lug 37 which is provided to be rotatably supported on a bearing portion of the retaining bolt 24 between the flange 26 and the retaining bead 28.

Each flap 30 is provided at its two side walls 31 each with a tether 35. In the closed position of the flaps 30 shown in Figure 1, the tethers 35 are U-shaped curved; if, as indicated in Fig. 1 by a dashed outline, one of the flaps 30 is open and oriented horizontally, their tethers 35 are elongated and keep the flap 30 in the horizontal position.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the bearing lug 37 of a tether 35 and a retaining bolt 24 which is provided to support the bearing lug 37. The above-mentioned locking portion 29 is shown in Figure 3 only schematically transparent, with dashed outlines, on the one hand to fully show the outer periphery of the retaining bead 28, on the other hand to suggest that this locking portion 29 is not a necessary feature of the retaining pin 24, but that for locking the flap 30 in the closed position, other means than those shown in Fig. 1 may be provided. The outer periphery of the retaining bead 28 is substantially circular, except for four radially inwardly directed notches 38, which are each distributed at an angular distance of 90 ° to each other on the circumference of the bead 28. The lowest points of the notches 38 lie on a circle whose diameter is just as large or at most slightly larger than the diameter of the circular bearing section 27.

The bearing lug 37 comprises two sections 39, 40, which follow one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the retaining bolt 24. The in Fig. The retaining bolt facing portion 39 has a free inner cross section which is complementary to the cross section of the retaining bead 28 is formed substantially circular with four radially inwardly directed projections 41. The dimensions of the bead 28 and the portion 39 are adapted to each other so that the portion 39 can be pushed over the retaining bead 28 with force, when the projections 41 engage in the notches 38. Since four projections 41 and notches 38 are present, there are four rotational positions in which the bearing lug 37 can be pushed over the retaining bead 28. As long as the projections 41 engage in the notches 38, the bearing lug 37 is not rotatable; only when the projections 41 have passed the notches 38 and have reached the bearing portion 27, the bearing lug 37 is rotatable about the retaining pin 24. Since unlike the eyelets conventional tethers the bearing lug 37 can pass the retaining bead 28 only in a certain rotational position, it is excluded that the bearing lug 37 gradually led up in the course of a rotational movement on the retaining bead 28 and gets stuck.

The second portion 40 of the bearing lug 37 has a circular free cross-section whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the retaining bead 28. This portion 40 surrounds the outer periphery of the retaining bead 28 when the bearing lug 37 is mounted on the retaining bolt 24 and thus protects the outer periphery of Haltewulstes 28 from injury that could deform this and could lead to the bearing lug 37 only with simultaneous damage to the Haltewustes 28 and can be removed.

4 is a perspective view of the retaining bolt 24, seen from its side wall 31 facing side. On the peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical shaft 25 four ribs 42 are formed, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 25th extend and only two of which are visible in the figure. The height of the ribs 42 is selected in dependence on the accuracy with which the formation of the receptacle 17 in the inner lining 15 is controlled so that when inserting the retaining pin 24 in the receptacle 17, only the ribs 42, but not the supporting cylindrical Body of the shaft 25 come into contact with the walls of the receptacle 17 and thereby slightly deform the receptacle 17 or deformed by it. This ensures that in a subsequent ultrasonic welding, the tips of the ribs 42 merge with the walls of the receptacle 17 and thus anchor the retaining pin 24 permanently fixed in the side wall 16.

The same purpose is an annular rib 43 which is formed on the side wall 16 of the side facing the flange 26, the shaft 25 circumferentially. This rib 43 merges during ultrasonic welding with a planar surface of the side wall 16 surrounding the receptacle 17 when sufficient pressure in the axial direction is exerted on the retaining bolt 24 during welding.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the tether 35 together with the molded at its ends holding elements 36, 37. The holding member 36 for anchoring to the through hole 34 of the flap 30 comprises a hollow cylindrical shaft 44 whose outer diameter minus a game corresponds to the diameter of the through hole 34 and a hollow frusto-conical portion 45 extending the shank 44, of which two faces the larger faces the shank 44 and has a slightly larger diameter than the through-hole 34. A slot 46 is formed in shaft 44 and truncated cone 45 so that they can be compressed to press the truncated cone 45 through the through hole 34 and thus anchor the tether 35 to the flap 30.

The tuck strap 35 injection-molded from elastic plastic material is elongated in the relaxed state, so that the relaxed state corresponds to the open position of the flap 30. The tension of the tether 35 thus supports the opening of the flap 30, unlike a conventional, in a curved configuration in the closed position of the flap 30 relaxed tether. While in a relaxed curved tether the flap 30 may need to have a considerable weight to their open stop position in which the tether is elongated against the Spring force of the tether 30 to reach at all, is achieved with the inventive tether this position regardless of the weight of the flap 30 or the rigidity of the tether 35. The tether 35 can therefore be made strong enough to carry a parked on the open flap 30 load.

The tether 35 is divided between the support members 36, 37 into two strong outer portions 48, 49 and a weaker central portion 50. Concentrated on the central portion 50 in the closed position of the flap 30, the deflection of the tether 35, d. H. the tether assumes an approximately U-shaped configuration, wherein the outer portions 48, 49 do not or only slightly curved outer legs of the U form. A possible difference in the lengths of the outer portions 48, 49 corresponds to a height difference of the holding members 36, 37 with the flap closed, so that in this position, the tether 35, as shown in Fig. 1, vertically downwards and not or at most insignificant over the Side wall 31 of the flap 30 protrudes.

Claims

claims

1. Refrigerating appliance with a body and a door (11), which together define a cold room (18) in which at least one via a pivotable flap (30) accessible receiving compartment (21) is provided, which flap (30) in an open position is held by a tether (35) acting on the flap (30) and on a wall (16) of the cold room (18), which is both rotatably supported on the wall and on the flap (30), characterized in that Tether (35) for its rotatable mounting at least one bearing part (37) having a radially directed shape (41) with a complementary formed second shaping of a bearing portion (27) on the wall (16) or the flap (30) under a predetermined rotational position of the bearing part (37) to the bearing portion engageable with each other and thus the joining position between the bearing part (37) and the bearing portion (27) is predetermined.

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the bearing part (37) is designed as a bearing lug, at its rotary bearing surface (39), the radially directed shape (41) is provided, in the complementary shape (38) one at one as Bearing portion formed bearing pin (37) arranged

Bead (28) can be inserted.

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that on the bearing lug (37) a plurality of radial shapes (41) are arranged in a plurality of complementary thereto formed shapes (38) on the bead (28) under a predetermined rotational position of the bearing lug (37) and the bead (28) are available.

4. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the eyelet (37) has a non-circular inner cross-section and the bead (28) on the bearing pin (27) has a complementary to the inner cross-section outer cross-section, which allows the eyelet ( 37) in the rotational position determined by the shape of the cross sections over the bead (28).

5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the eyelet (37) has a substantially circular inner cross-section with at least one radially inwardly directed projection (41).

6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the inner cross section a plurality of evenly spaced circumferentially projections

(41).

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the pin (24) mounted eyelet (37) in the axial direction at least the same extent as the bearing portion (27) and the bead (28) of the bolt (24) together.

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the eyelet (37) has the substantially circular inner cross section with at least one radially inwardly directed projection (41) on a first portion (39) of its axial extent and that in a second section (40) has a larger diameter circular cross section than in the first section (39).

9. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body comprises a deep-drawn inner container having a wall

(16) of the cold room, and that the bolt (24) is ultrasonically welded to a recess (14) of the inner container.

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that the bolt (24) has a recess engaging in the shaft (25).

11. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that the shaft (25) is provided with projecting ribs (42).

12. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 11, characterized in that the ribs (42) extend in the axial direction of the shaft.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the bolt (24) at one of the recess (17) surrounding region of the wall (16) adjacent the flange (26), and that the flange (26) at least a projection (43) facing the wall surface.

14. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 10 and claim 13, characterized in that the projection (43) is a rib extending around the shaft.