WO2010076178A1

WO2010076178A1 - A cooling device comprising a bottle carrier

Info

Publication number: WO2010076178A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/067111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oguz Cetinturk; Ahmet Onur Moza; Onur Onrat; Fatih Mehmet Ozturk
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2008-12-30
Filing date: 2009-12-14
Publication date: 2010-07-08
Also published as: ES2395362T3; EP2373944A1; EP2373944B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to the cooling device (1) comprising a body (2) wherein items desired to be cooled are disposed, a door which allows access to the inside of the body (2) from the outer environment, one or more shelves (3) which are positioned in the body (2) at various heights, and at least one carrier (4) which is fixed under the shelf (3) and wherein a bottle (S) is disposed.

Description

A COOLING DEVICE COMPRISING A BOTTLE CARRIER

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a carrier that facilitates storing of bottles.

[0002] Cooling devices generally comprises carriers which are mounted under the shelf and wherein bottles are disposed. Carriers are mounted under the shelf in order to utilize the dead space under the shelf. However, occasionally, more items are desired to be disposed onto the shelf below but the carriers prevent this.

[0003] In the state of the art, carriers, which can be folded under the shelf when not in use, are available.

[0004] In the state of the art United States of America Patent Document No

US4528825, a foldable shelf, which can be folded under the upper shelf when not in use, is explained.

[0005] In another state of the art document, the International Patent Document No WO05059458, carriers, which are moved along a rail group, are explained. These carriers provide one bottle to be stored when they are aligned at the same level such that their horizontal or vertical axes intercept, and provide more than one bottle to be stored when they are not aligned at the same level.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device comprising a carrier which provides bottles to be carried and stored and which occupies less space when not in use.

[0007] The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a carrier which is fixed under the shelf from one end.

[0008] The carrier comprises four support members and four joints providing the support members to be articulately connected to each other in a quadrilateral shape. The carrier is hung under the shelf from one joint and the other joints stand freely inside the body. In the open position, the support members stand angularly to each other and to the shelf such that two of them will be above and two of them will be below. In the closed position, the angle between the support members above and the support members below decreases and the carrier is folded under the shelf.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one spring is situated between the joints at the sides which are located between the support members above and the support members below. The spring serves as a latch in order that the support members are closed towards each other.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, more than one carrier is arranged as an accordion as one being under the other. The upper joint of one of the carriers is mounted to the lower joint of the other carrier. Thus, when desired, more than one bottle can be loaded into the carriers and the carriers, wherein no bottle is loaded, can be used in the closed position.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the joint comprises a housing which is located at the end of the support members and a shaft which passes through the housings of the two mutually adjacent support members and which forms the rotational axis of the support members.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the support members are plate-shaped.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the support members consist of more than one rod.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, the carrier, which comprises support members provided by rods, comprises at least one connector which connects the rods that are aligned in the same horizontal plane, and which preferably passes through the housings that are at the end of the joints above and below.

[0015] Thus, according to the preference of the user, the carrier can be kept parallel to the shelf and horizontal in the inner volume of the cooling device when not in use and the inner volume of the body is enabled to be used effectively.

[0016] By means of the present invention, depending on the preference of the user, the carrier is enabled to be folded under the shelf and to be kept at that position when not in use. Thus, the inner volume of the cooling device is enabled to be used effectively.

[0017] A cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where: [0018] Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a cooling device.

[0019] Figure 2 - is the perspective view of a carrier in the closed position.

[0020] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a shelf and more than one carrier while one of the carriers is in the open position and the other two carriers are in the closed position.

[0021] Figure 4 - is the view of detail A in Figure 3. [0022] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cooling device

2. Body

3. Shelf

4. ,104., 204. Carrier

5. , 105. Support member

6. 106., 206. Joint

7. Spring

8. Housing

9. Shaft

10. Connector

[0023] The cooling device (1) comprises a body (2) wherein items desired to be cooled are disposed, a door which allows access to the inside of the body (2) from the outer environment, one or more shelves (3) which are positioned in the body (2) at various heights, and at least one carrier (4, 104, 204) which is fixed under the shelf (3) and wherein a bottle (S) is disposed (Figurei).

[0024] The carrier (4, 104, 204) comprises

- four support members (5, 105) which form a closed shape by being articulately connected to each other from their one end each in a successive manner,

- four joints (6, 106, 206) wherein the ends of the mutually adjacent support members (5, 105) are fastened to each other,

- support members (5, 105) which are mounted under the shelf (3) by means of one (6) of the joints (6, 106, 206),

- which stand angularly to each other and to the shelf (3) in the open position (I), - which are folded under the shelf (3) and which change to a position almost parallel with the shelf (3) in the closed position (II) (Figure 2 and Figure 3).

[0025] When the carrier (4, 104, 204) is in the open position (I), a bottle (S) can be loaded therein. When the bottle (S) is loaded into the carrier (4), the bottle (S) is disposed onto the two support members situated below (105). The other two support members situated above (5) provide the support members below (105) to be hung under the shelf (3). The lower joint (106) joins the support members below (105). The upper joint (6) joins the support members above (5). The side joints (206) join the support members above (5) and the support members below (105). The support members (5, 105) have almost the equal length and in the open position (I), the angle (α) between them is almost 90 degrees (Figure 3). In the closed position (II), the support members below (105) and the support members above (5) are folded under the shelf (3) by being closed onto each other. During this movement, while the joint below (106) gets closer to the upper joint (6), the joints at the sides (206) gets closer towards the under of the shelf (3). The angle between the upper support members (5) and the lower support members (105) decreases. Thus, also the space, the carrier (4, 104, 204) occupies inside the body (2), decreases (Figure 1 and Figure 2).

[0026] The carrier (4, 104, 204) comprises at least two springs (7) which are mounted onto the joints (206) between the support members below (105) and the support members above (5) and which push the support members below (105) and the support members above (5) towards each other (Figure 4). By means of the springs (7), the joint above (6) and the joint below (106) get closer to each other and the support members (5, 105) are folded almost under the shelf (3).

[0027] In an embodiment of the present invention, the support members (5, 105) are plate-shaped. In this embodiment, the joints (6, 106, 206) are integrated to one of the two mutually adjacent plate-shaped support members (5, 105). For example, the joints (6, 106, 206), formed as protrusions on the edges of a support member (5, 105), are mounted to the recess formed on the edge of the other support member (5, 105) and thus, provide the support members (5, 105) to be articulately connected to each other.

[0028] In another embodiment of the present invention, the support members (5, 105) are provided by the rods being arranged side by side. Thus, cost advantage is provided.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the support members (5, 105) are provided by rods, the joints (6, 106, 206) comprise a housing (8) which is located at the end of the support members (5, 105) and at least one shaft (9) which passes through the housings (8) of the two mutually adjacent support members (5, 105) and which is the rotational axis of the support members (5, 105). In this embodiment, the wire-formed spring (7) is wound to the shaft (9) portion remaining between two housings (8) preferably such that its one end will push on the support member below (105) and its other end will push on the support member above (5) (Figure 4).

[0030] In another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the support members (5) are provided by rods, the carrier (4, 104, 204) comprises at least one connector (10) which connects the rods that are aligned in the same horizontal plane, and which preferably passes through the housings (8) that are at the end of the joints above and below (6, 106). Thus, the rods, joined with the connector (10), form a support member (5, 105) shape (Figure 3 and Figure 4).

[0031] In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises more than one carrier (4, 104, 204), to the lower joint (206) of one of which the upper joint (6) of the other is mounted (Figure 3). As long as the empty portion under the shelf (3) allows, bottles (S) can be loaded into the carriers (4, 104, 204), located independently of each other as one being under the other, which are in the open position (I). The carriers (4, 104, 204), wherein no bottle (S) is loaded, do not occupy space since they are folded under the shelf (3) in the closed position (II) (Figure 3).

[0032] By means of the embodiment of the present invention, a carrier (4, 104, 204) is realized which, in the open position (I), enables a bottle (S) to be carried therein by the support members (5, 105) changing to a position that is angular to each other and to the shelf (3), and wherein, in the closed position (II), the support members (5, 105) are folded under the shelf (3) by the pressing of the spring (7) and thus, which does not occupy space when not in use. Thus, without requiring the intervention of the user, the carrier (4, 104, 204) changes to the closed position (II), wherein it occupies less space, by itself when not in use. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above and an expert in the technique can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooling device (1) comprising a body (2) wherein items desired to be cooled are disposed, a door which allows access to the inside of the body (2) from the outer environment, one or more shelves (3) which are positioned in the body

(2) at various heights, and at least one carrier (4) which is fixed under the shelf

(3) and wherein a bottle (S) is disposed, characterized by one or more carriers (4, 104, 204) that have

- four joints (6, 106, 206) wherein the ends of the adjacent support members (5, 105) are fastened to each other,

- support members (5, 105) which are mounted under the shelf (3) by means of one of the joints (6, 106, 206),

- which stand angularly to each other and to the shelf (3) in the open position (I), and

- which change to a position almost parallel with the shelf (3) by being folded under the shelf (3) in the closed position (II).

2. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 , characterized by the carrier (4, 104, 204) that comprises at least two springs (7) which push the support members below (105) towards the support members above (5) by being mounted onto the joints (206) connecting the support members below (105) to the support members above (5).

3. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the plate-shaped support members (5).

4. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 or 2 of the above Claims, characterized by the support members (5, 105) which are provided by the rods being arranged side by side.

5. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the joints (6, 106, 206) that comprise a housing (8) which is located at the end of the support members (5, 105) and a shaft (9) which passes through the housings (8) of the two adjacent support members (5, 105) and which forms the rotational axis of the support members (5, 105).

6. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by the carrier (4, 104, 204) that comprises at least one connector (10) which connects the rods that are aligned in the same horizontal plane, and which preferably passes through the housings (8) that are at the end of the joints above and below (6, 106).

7. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by more than one carrier (4, 104, 204), to the lower joint (206) of one of which the upper joint (6) of the other is mounted.