WO2008080959A2

WO2008080959A2 - A cooling device

Info

Publication number: WO2008080959A2
Application number: PCT/EP2007/064597
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ahmet Gizlice; Esra Develi; Harun Bingol; Engin Yilmaz
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-12-28
Publication date: 2008-07-10
Also published as: WO2008080959A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling device (1), wherein the highest and the lowest levels of a shelf (3), suspended within the cooling device (1) by means of a spring (4), are determined by a telescopic sheath (5), enabling therefore a maximized utilization of the interior space.

Description

Description A COOLING DEVICE

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device wherein the utilization of interior space is maximized.

[0002] In cooling devices, food products and miscellaneous containers are placed over shelves. As containers disposed over shelves are of various heights, it may be necessary to fix incessantly the distance between shelves. When placing elevated containers over a shelf, certain shelves are either taken out or folded and set aside within the body in order to enable a more flexible utilization of the interior space.

[0003] In the state of the art, the Korean patent document number KR20030089942 explains how shelves inside a cooling device can be levered on a horizontal axis by making use of a telescopic system.

[0004] The object of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device comprising shelves that enable maximized space utilization.

[0005] The cooling device designed in order to fulfill the objective of the present invention is described in the claims attached herewith. The cooling device that constitutes the object of this invention comprises a shelf suspending from the roof by means of a spring. The shelf moves upwards or downwards according to the weight of the foodstuff placed over it. In order to maintain a well-balanced movement and to determine the highest and the lowest positions of the shelf, which vary with the weight placed over the shelf, the spring is inserted into a sheath that moves by telescopic method.

[0006] The first and the last tubes of the telescopic sheath, which is entirely constituted by tubes, are fixed onto the roof and onto the shelf.

[0007] In one other application of this invention, the shelf is embedded by the edges into a sled.

[0008] A cooling device designed to fulfil the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0009] Figure 1- is the perspective view of a cooling device;

[0010] Figure 2- is the perspective view of a shelf, a sheath and a sled;

[0011] Figure 3- is the schematic view of a spring and a sheath.

[0012] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cooling device

2. Body

3. Shelf

4. Spring

5. Sheath

6. Sled

7. Tube [0013] The cooling device (1) comprises a body (2); a shelf (3) located within the body (2), over which are placed food products; at least one spring (4) to which the shelf is suspended by one end; and at least one sheath (5) moving by telescopic method to which is inserted the spring (4) and which is connected by one end to the surface from where the spring (4) hangs and by the other end to the shelf (3).

[0014] The sheath (5) comprises tubes (7) of various diameters one inside the other that enable a telescopic movement.

[0015] When the shelves (3) are not loaded (when the system is in free position), they (3) remain at a certain level. But when some load is placed over a shelf (3), height of the shelf (3) changes in proportion of the weight of the load and stays at a proportional level with the weight.

[0016] The up and down motion of the shelves (3) is maintained through the spring (4) getting stretched or tightened. As one of the tubes (7) in telescopic movement is attached to the shelf (3) and the other to the surface from where suspends the spring (4), the minimum and maximum amounts of extension of the spring (4), therefore the lowest and highest shelf (3) height, can be determined.

[0017] The spring (4) can extend at the most up to the highest level that the tubes (7) in telescopic movement may attain when totally opened, and at the least up to the lowest level that the tubes (7) in telescopic movement may attain when totally closed.

[0018] The shelves (3) move within the cooling device (1) in proportion of the weight of the load. When some load is placed over the shelves (3), they move to and remain at a certain level proportionate with the weight of the load, without having to use a stopper.

[0019] When load is placed over the shelves (3) of the cooling device (1), the tubes (7) which have a telescopic nature start moving in synchronization with the spring (4). The spring (4) stretches in proportion of the weight of the load. And consequently, the telescopic tubes (7) open wider.

[0020] The tubes (7) which have a telescopic movement serve also as shock absorbers in case the user drops an object onto the shelves (3).

[0021] At the same time, these tubes (7) in telescopic movement hinder the spring (4) from curving towards one side and prevent the shelves (3) from bumping into the interior walls of the body (2).

[0022] In one other application of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises at least one sled (6) wherein the shelf (3) edges are embedded and which maintains equilibrium in the up and down movements of the shelves (3).

[0023] The highest and the lowest levels of the shelves (3) suspended within the cooling device (1) by means of a spring (4) are determined by the telescopic sheath (5). The user can therefore make use of the interior space in an efficient and ergonomic manner.

Claims

[0001] A cooling device (1) comprising a body (2), a shelf (3) located within the body

(2) over which are placed food products, and at least one spring (4); and characterized by a sheath (5) to which the shelf (3) is suspended by one end, and at least one sheath (5) wherein the spring (4) is inserted, which is connected by one end to the surface from where the spring (4) hangs and by the other end to the shelf (3), and which moves by telescopic method.

[0002] A cooling device (1) as described in Claim 1, characterized by tubes (7) of various diameters one inside the other, enabling the telescopic movement.

[0003] A cooling device (1) as described in Claim 2, characterized by tubes (7) of which one end is connected to the shelf (3) and the other to the fixing point of the spring (4).

[0004] A cooling device (1) as described in any one of the above claims, characterized by at least one sled (6) wherein the shelf (3) edges are embedded and which maintains equilibrium in the up and down movements of the shelves (3).