WO2016000736A1

WO2016000736A1 - Displaceable egg storage assembly for a refrigeratiion appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2016000736A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/063830
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tamer Tombuloglu; Oktay Aygun; Arda OZSU; Husamettin CELIK
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2014-06-30
Filing date: 2014-06-30
Publication date: 2016-01-07

Abstract

The present invention relates to an egg storage assembly in a refrigeration appliance. The present invention more particularly relates to a refrigeration appliance (1 ) having an interior refrigeration cabin enclosed by a heat-insulating housing and a refrigeration cabin door (2) comprising at least one door shelf (3) for accommodating containers. An egg case (7) is movably connected with a shelf base (5) of the door shelf (3) so as to be guidably movable away from under the door shelf (3) to a loading and unloading position.

Description

DISPLACEABLE EGG STORAGE ASSEMBLY FOR A REFRIGERATIION APPLIANCE

The present invention relates to an egg storage assembly in a refrigeration appliance.

In refrigeration appliances, inner storing area efficiency is one of the most important concerns for the consumer. There are different solutions provided for storing eggs in the state of art. To this end, various designs for egg storage assemblies are proposed, having different sizes and structures.

The structure and size of egg storage assemblies may complicate efficient use of the storage area in the refrigeration appliances because such assemblies themselves generally require a storage area and may be stored in the door shelves in the form of specifically adapted egg adaptor cases. This placement has the disadvantage that the egg adaptor case occupies the storage space in the door shelf originally dedicated to other items and containers, which would otherwise serve for storing them.

To provide a stable storing in the refrigeration appliances for eggs, the storage area in the door shelves should therefore be used in an efficient manner with minimal interaction with the storage space not originally reserved for storing eggs. Another inconvenience caused by egg adaptor cases placed in the door shelves originates from the fact that these cases, although occupying the shelf space, may remain empty from time to time because eggs may be sold in special packages, which can contain and preserve eggs in a convenient manner. Such packages may then be placed in the refrigeration cabin with the eggs inside.

One of the prior art documents in the technical field of the present invention may be referred to as DE102012202947, disclosing an egg carrier having an egg-supporting base for accommodating the eggs. A grasp device is connected with the egg-supporting base for engaging and supporting an egg carrier portion. The grasp device is extended away from the egg-supporting base. A work area is formed in the grasp device. A stretching region and the egg-supporting base are spaced apart from each other such that egg is accommodated between the stretching region and egg-supporting base.

The present invention provides a suspendable egg case occupying a limited amount of space in the refrigeration appliance as defined by the characterizing features in Claim 1.

Primary object of the present invention is hence to provide an egg case which can be conveniently displaced between storage and loading positions such that inner space of the refrigeration appliance and particularly the door shelves can efficiently be used to fulfill their primary function.

The present invention provides a refrigeration appliance with an egg case guidably carried by a shelf base of the door shelf so as to be movable away from under the door shelf for storage of eggs in a parking position and removing eggs in a loading or unloading position.

The suspendable egg case is therefore guidably moved in a direction generally perpendicular to the inner side surface of the refrigeration cabin door for loading or unloading purposes.

The shelf bases, or a certain number of shelf bases comprise preferably integrally formed suspended rails on the outer side surfaces, these are effective in establishing mechanical connection with the egg cases for carrying the same in a guidably movable manner.

The suspended rails therefore project from the outer side surface of the shelf bases and cooperate with rail retaining extensions of the egg cases in the manner to receive these extensions in the suspended rails.

An egg case has preferably two rail retaining extensions movable inside a longitudinally extending suspended rail while the egg case can be extracted away from the door shelf a certain amount in a supported manner.

The rail retaining extensions of the egg case are preferably connected to the base portion thereof by two carrier members at each side. While the egg case is moved out, a stopping member integral to a rear carrier member thereof leans against a limiting extension of the suspended rail at a front end, thereby limiting further displacement of the egg case.

Additionally or alternatively, said egg case may also be rendered movably connected with the shelf base such that it can be displaceable under the door shelf sideways. In a similar way, it can be guided in additional suspended rails provided in parallel with the door shelf’s longitudinal direction in the space under the door shelf.

Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying an egg case for a refrigeration appliance, whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.

The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.

Fig. 1 demonstrates a general perspective view of a refrigeration appliance door having a plurality of door shelves.

Fig. 2 demonstrates a general perspective view of a refrigeration appliance door with a conventional egg adaptor case (4) placed in a door shelf.

Fig. 3 demonstrates an enlarged view of detail A as shown in Fig. 2 with the egg adaptor case (4) being placed in the door shelf.

Fig. 4 demonstrates a general perspective view of a refrigeration appliance door with suspended rails on the outer surface of the base thereof according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 demonstrates an enlarged view of detail B as shown in Fig. 4 with the suspended rails being provided on the outer surface of the door shelf base according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 demonstrates a general rear perspective view of an egg case according to the present invention.

Fig. 7 demonstrates another general perspective view of an egg case being suspended according to the present invention.

Fig. 8 demonstrates an enlarged view of detail C as shown in Fig. 7 with the egg case connection components according to the present invention.

Fig. 9 demonstrates another general perspective view of an egg case being extracted according to the present invention.

Fig. 10 demonstrates a side view of the egg case being extracted according to the present invention.

Fig. 11 demonstrates a general perspective view of the egg case in storage position according to the present invention.

The following numerals are assigned to different parts demonstrated in the drawings:

Refrigeration appliance
Refrigeration cabin door
Door shelf
Egg adaptor case
Shelf base
Suspended rail
Egg case
Rail retaining extension
Base portion
Egg cell
Egg
Carrier members
Stopping member
Limiting extension
Handling portion

The present invention relates to a household appliance and more particularly a refrigeration appliance (1) having an interior refrigeration cabin enclosed by a heat-insulating housing.

The refrigeration appliance (1) may typically have a main body with a multitude of storage chambers and doors opening and closing a front side of the main body. A refrigerating cabin as well as a freezing cabin may be disposed so as to provide separate divisions within the inside of the main body. The refrigerating cabin of the invention may comprise a plurality of shelves as well as withdrawable storage containers generally designated as a storage space for food items such as vegetables and fruits. The refrigerating cabin has a refrigeration cabin door (2).

In accordance with the invention, a certain number of door shelves (3) are conventionally disposed on the inner side of the refrigeration cabin door (2), generally accommodating bottles, jars and other similar generally cylindrical containers. The door shelves (3) are provided with guiding rails on the outer side of their bases. These guiding lines in the form of suspended rails (6) project from the lower outer surface of the shelf bases (5) to be extending perpendicular to the refrigeration cabin door (2) surface as shown for instance in Fig. 4 and 5. Alternatively these suspended rails (6) can extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the door shelves (3) as will be delineated hereinafter.

The suspended rails (6) serve to the purpose of carrying a suspendable egg case (7) having two rail retaining extensions (8) being structured to fit inside said suspended rails (6) whereby the egg case (7) can be removed away from the door shelf (3) so that eggs (11) placed in the egg cells (10) of the egg case (7) can be taken in a convenient manner.

Therefore, the egg case (7) is movable in a first direction perpendicular to the inner face of the refrigeration cabin door (2) such that the egg case (7) moves away from under the door shelf (3) to a loading and unloading position while still being carried by said door shelf (3) in a securely supported manner. The rail retaining extensions (8) of the egg case (7) at two sides thereof, are connected to a base portion (9) of the egg case (7) by preferably two carrier members (12) at each side, said base portion (9) containing the egg cells (10).

Amount of outward displacement of the egg case (7) for loading or unloading purposes is limited by a stopping member (13) integral to at least one of the rear carrier members (12) of the egg case (7), said stopping member (13) forming a longitudinal flange portion projecting laterally from the rear carrier member (12). The stopping member (13), when the egg case (7) reaches its outermost extracted position as demonstrated in Fig. 9, leans against a limiting extension (14) forming a barrier against further displacement of the egg case (7). The limiting extension (14) is integrally formed with the suspended rail (6) so as to protrude at the front end thereof in the direction of the egg case (7), suitable for laterally enclosing a carrier member (12) partially at both sides thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, in addition to perpendicular movement of the egg case (7) for loading and unloading, said egg case (7) can also be moved in parallel with door shelf’s (3) longitudinal direction. This movement provides flexibility to the user in that he/she can move the egg case (7) sideways under the associated door shelf (3) to create space between the associated and the lower door shelves (3) for arranging for instance taller bottles in the lower door shelf (3).

In a nutshell, the present invention proposes a refrigeration appliance (1) having an interior refrigeration cabin enclosed by a heat-insulating housing and a refrigeration cabin door (2), said refrigeration cabin door (2) comprising at least one door shelf (3) for accommodating containers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an egg case (7) is movably connected with a shelf base (5) of the door shelf (3) so as to be guidably movable away from under the door shelf (3) to a loading and unloading position.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the egg case (7) is guidably movable in a direction perpendicular to the refrigeration cabin door (2).

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the shelf base (5) of the door shelf (3) is provided with at least one suspended rail (6) on an outer side surface thereof, carrying the suspendable egg case (7) in a guidably movable manner.

In a still further embodiment of the present invention, said suspended rails (6) project from the outer side surface of the shelf bases (5) to cooperate with rail retaining extensions (8) of the egg case (7).

In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, the egg case (7) has two rail retaining extensions (8) structured to fit inside the suspended rails (6) such that the egg case (7) is removable away from the door shelf (3).

In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, the rail retaining extensions (8) of the egg case (7) are connected to a base portion (9) thereof by carrier members (12).

In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, the rail retaining extensions (8) of the egg case (7) are connected to the base portion (9) thereof by two carrier members (12) at each side.

In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, amount of outward displacement of the egg case (7) for loading or unloading purposes is limited by a stopping member (13) leaning against a limiting extension (14) of the suspended rail (6), the stopping member (13) forming a projecting portion from a rear carrier member (12).

In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, the stopping member (13) forms a longitudinal flange portion projecting from a rear carrier member (12).

In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, the limiting extension (14) protrude in the direction of the egg case (7) to be laterally enclosing a carrier member (12) partially at both sides thereof.

In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, the egg case (7) is movably connected with the shelf base (5) to be displaceable under the door shelf (3) sideways in a manner to be guided in an additional suspended rail (not shown) provided in parallel with the door shelf’s (3) longitudinal direction.

The present invention therefore provides a stable storing in the refrigeration appliances (1) for eggs (11), by which the storage area in the door shelf (3) is not used for storing eggs (11) and an alternative space is used to advantageously accommodate egg cases (7) connected to the lower surface of the door shelves (3). The alternative space under the door shelf (3) is therefore used in a more efficient manner, occupying a limited amount of space in the refrigeration appliance (1).

Claims

A refrigeration appliance (1) having an interior refrigeration cabin enclosed by a heat-insulating housing and a refrigeration cabin door (2), said refrigeration cabin door (2) comprising at least one door shelf (3) for accommodating containers, characterized in that

an egg case (7) is movably connected with a shelf base (5) of the door shelf (3) so as to be guidably movable away from under the door shelf (3) to a loading and unloading position.
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that said egg case (7) is guidably movable in a direction perpendicular to the refrigeration cabin door (2).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shelf base (5) of the door shelf (3) is provided with at least one suspended rail (6) on an outer side surface thereof, carrying the egg case (7) in a guidably movable manner.
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 3, characterized in that said suspended rails (6) project from the outer side surface of the shelf bases (5) to cooperate with rail retaining extensions (8) of the egg case (7).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 4, characterized in that the egg case (7) has two rail retaining extensions (8) structured to fit inside the suspended rails (6) such that the egg case (7) is removable away from the door shelf (3).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 5, characterized in that said rail retaining extensions (8) of the egg case (7) are connected to a base portion (9) thereof by carrier members (12).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 6, characterized in that the rail retaining extensions (8) of the egg case (7) are connected to the base portion (9) thereof by two carrier members (12) at each side.
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 3 and 7, characterized in that amount of outward displacement of the egg case (7) for loading or unloading is limited by a stopping member (13) leaning against a limiting extension (14) of the suspended rail (6), the stopping member (13) forming a projecting portion from a rear carrier member (12).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 8, characterized in that the stopping member (13) forms a longitudinal flange portion projecting from a rear carrier member (12).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the limiting extension (14) protrude in the direction of the egg case (7) to be laterally enclosing a carrier member (12) partially at both sides thereof.
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in any preceding Claims, characterized in that the egg case (7) is movably connected with the shelf base (5) to be displaceable under the door shelf (3) sideways in a manner to be guided in an additional suspended rail provided in parallel with the door shelf’s (3) longitudinal direction