WO2017114623A1

WO2017114623A1 - A cooling device comprising a storage container

Info

Publication number: WO2017114623A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/079288
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mehmet YASAR; Gokhan Ozseker; Tuba CETIN; Fahri KIRLI; Sami Kayhan ULKUMEN
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2015-12-29
Filing date: 2016-11-30
Publication date: 2017-07-06

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling device (1), comprising a body (2); a door (3) that provides access to the body (2); a water chamber (4) that is disposed at the inner wall of the door (3); a housing (5) that is disposed on the water chamber (4), and a storage container (6) that can be placed in the housing (5) and that is suitable for storing the goods to be placed therein.

Description

A COOLING DEVICE COMPRISING A STORAGE CONTAINER

The present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a storage container.

In some cooling devices, water dispensers that are disposed on the door and that enable the user to obtain water without the need of opening the door of the cooling device are provided. The said water dispensers comprise a chamber wherein the water is stored and that is disposed in the inner face of the door, and a water outlet port that is disposed at the outer surface of the door. Similarly, egg trays that are used in the cooling devices and that are disposed on the door shelves are provided. The egg trays that are disposed on the door shelf or that are produced as door shelves cause excessive volume loss.

As a result of the opening and closing of the door of the cooling device, in addition to the eggs and other foodstuffs that are placed to the door shelves and that are affected from temperature fluctuations, goods like medicine and cosmetics may deteriorate because of temperature fluctuations, too.

In the water dispensers, in order to provide space saving, containers that are suitable for the forms of these goods are produced and disposed above the water chamber. Besides the saving provided from space, by means of the lower parts of these goods affected from the temperature fluctuations that stay in the water chamber, partial protection against the temperature changes is provided. By means of the high thermal inertia of the water in the water dispenser, the goods in the storage container are enabled to be protected from sudden temperature changes, and the freshness thereof is enabled to be maintained for a longer time. However, that only the portions of these goods placed on the water chamber that stay in the container are protected from the thermal changes and that this situation is valid only when the water chamber is entirely full result in that the desired benefit is not efficiently provided.

In the state of the art Japanese Utility Model Document No. JP49059151, recesses that are suitable for eggs to be placed are provided at the upper portion of the water chamber.

In the state of the art European Patent Document No. EP2314964, the egg tray that is disposed on the water chamber is disclosed. In the said cooling device, recesses wherein eggs and canned beverages can be placed are provided.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device wherein the goods like food, medicine and cosmetics that are sensitive to temperature fluctuation are efficiently stored.

In the cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, an open-top storage container wherein the goods that are desired to be protected from the temperature fluctuations are placed is provided. The storage container is placed in the housing arranged in the water chamber and thus provides the forward-backward movement and enables the goods that are stored in the storage container and that are sensitive to temperature fluctuations to be protected. The said water chamber is suitable for providing water to a water dispenser that is preferably disposed at the outer face of the door. The deteriorations that can be seen in the course of time depending on the temperature fluctuations occurring between the stopping and operating times with the frequent opening and closing of the door of the cooling device are prevented by carrying the goods sensitive to the temperature fluctuations into the storage container. The storage container that is almost completely surrounded by the water chamber enables the freshness of the said goods to be maintained for a longer time by minimizing the contact that occurs between the air in the storage container and the outer environment air.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage container is disposed in the vicinity of the base of the water chamber. By means of the base of the storage container being close to the base of the water chamber, the thermal inertia of the water in the water chamber is used with the highest efficiency. In a derivative of this embodiment, the base of the storage container and the base of the water chamber are coplanar.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage container has the form of a drawer. In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the movement of the storage container in the water chamber, guiding members are disposed at the lateral surfaces of the storage container. The said guiding members extend along the lateral surface of the storage container and move in the slots disposed at the inner walls of the housing wherein the storage container is placed. By means of the linear movement of the guiding member in the slot, the storage container is enabled to move in the water chamber without being shaken.

A stopper that is disposed on the guiding member is formed so as to prevent the guiding member from coming out of the slot and to prevent the storage container produced as a drawer from coming out of the housing in case the storage container is pulled out of the housing.

In order to prevent the goods sensitive to temperature fluctuations to be placed in the storage container from being damaged by hitting the storage container as a result of the movement of the storage container, a plate that is suitable for the shape of the good is provided. The cooling device comprises a plate that has holes that enable the eggs to be placed in the middle in case the sensitive good is in to the form of an egg or in a similar form.

The plate in the storage container is disposed on the feet provided in the storage container in the form of protrusions. By means of the said recesses or protrusions, the plate is enabled to remain on the base of the storage container and the goods sensitive to the temperature changes are enabled to be fixed.

By means of the present invention, a storage container is realized, that enables the goods sensitive to the temperature fluctuations to be stored for a longer time.

A cooling device realized in order to attain the aim the object of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 – is the perspective view of the cooling device of the present invention.

Figure 2 – is the perspective view of the cooling device when the door is open.

Figure 3 – is the view of detail A in Figure 2.

Figure 4 – is the top cross-sectional view of the cooling device.

Figure 5 – is the exploded view of the storage container and the water chamber in an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 – is the partial view of the storage container and the chamber when the storage container is in the housing in an embodiment of the present invention.

Cooling device
Body
Door
Water chamber
Housing
Storage container
Guiding member
Slot
Stopper
Foot
Plate

The cooling device (1) comprises

a body (2);
a door (3) that provides access to the body (2);
a water chamber (4) that is disposed at the inner wall of the door (3);
a housing (5) that is disposed on the water chamber (4), and
a storage container (6) that can be placed in the housing (5) and that is suitable for storing the goods to be placed therein

(Figure 1, Figure 2).

The cooling device (1) of the present invention comprises a storage container (6) that enables the temperature fluctuations to which the goods are subjected to be minimized by creating a closed volume between the storage container (6) and the water chamber (4) when placed in the housing (5) (Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4).

The storage container (6) that is placed into the housing (5) disposed on the water chamber (4) can move into and out of the housing (5). In case the storage container (6) is pulled out of the housing (5) during this movement, the user is enabled to access the goods that are placed in the storage container (6). In case the storage container (6) is pushed into the housing (5), the front surface of the storage container (6) and the front surface of the water chamber (4) becomes almost completely coplanar and the user is prevented from accessing the interior of the storage container (6). When the storage container (6) that is placed into the housing (5) disposed on the water chamber (4) is in the closed position, the storage container (6) creates a closed volume between the storage container (6) and the water chamber (4), and the air in this volume and the air in the body (2) are enabled to be separated from one another. By means of the high thermal inertia of the water that is stored in the water chamber (4), the goods that are stored in the storage container (6) are prevented from being subjected to the outer environment temperature and from being damaged from the temperature fluctuations in case the door (3) is opened.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises the housing (5) that is disposed in a position that is close to the lower surface of the water chamber (4). Thus, even if the water level in the water chamber (4) decreases, the goods stored in the storage container (6) are enabled to be affected from the temperature fluctuations at the minimum by benefiting from the high thermal inertia of the water (Figure 3)

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises the storage container (6) the base of which becomes coplanar with the base of the water chamber (4) when placed in the housing (5). Thus, since the water chamber (4) is in contact with the storage container (6) until it is depleted, the thermal inertia of the water is utilized at the maximum level (Figure 5, Figure 6).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises an opening that is arranged at the front surface of the water chamber (4) and the housing (5) that is accessed by means of the opening and that is almost entirely surrounded by the water chamber (4). Thus, when the water chamber (4) is full, the housing (5) is fully surrounded by the water and the temperature fluctuations in the housing (5) are enabled to be minimized.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises the storage container (6) in the form of a drawer. Thus, the storage container (6) is easily placed into the housing (5) and the ease of assembly is provided (Figure 5, Figure 6).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises a guiding member (7) that is disposed at the side surface of the storage container (6) and that extends in the movement direction along the storage container (6), and a slot (8) in which the guiding member (7) that is disposed on the housing (5) moves. The form of the guiding member (7) that is like a protrusion is seated into the slot (8) arranged at the inner surface of the housing (5) and thus acts as a guide while the storage container (6) is pulled and pushed (Figure 3, Figure 5).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guiding member (7) that extends along the storage container (6) forms a recess and is seated into the slot (8) that forms a protrusion at the inner surface of the housing (5) and thus acts as a guide while the storage container (6) is pushed and pulled.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises a stopper (9) that is disposed on the guiding member (7) and that prevents the storage container (6) from coming out of the housing (5). The said stopper (9) provides ease of use by being seated into a recess arranged in the slot (8) while the storage container (6) is pulled and thus preventing the guiding member (7) from coming out of the slot (8) (Figure 3, Figure 5).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises more than one foot (10) that is disposed at the inner edges of the storage container (6) and a plate (11) that is placed on the feet (10) and that has a shaped surface. The feet (10) that are disposed at the inner wall of the storage container (6) are realized as protrusions that rise from the walls of the storage container (6) and enable the plate (11) to be placed thereon. Thus, goods like medicine and injector and goods that need to be fixed with the shaped plate (11) like eggs and canned beverages can be stored in the storage container (6) when needed.

In a derivative of this embodiment, the cooling device (1) comprises the plate (11) that is suitable for eggs to be placed therein. Thus, in cases where the interior of the storage container (6) is desired to be accessed, the eggs in the storage container (6) that is pulled out of the housing (5) are prevented from being damaged.

By means of the present invention, the goods that are placed in the storage container (6) disposed into the housing (5) are enabled to be stored in a closed volume that is separate from the inner volume of the cooling device (1), and the closed volume eliminates the temperature fluctuations in the storage container (6) with the high thermal inertia of the water and maintains the freshness of the goods for a longer time.

Claims

A cooling device (1) comprising

- a body (2);

- a door (3) that provides access to the body (2);

- a water chamber (4) that is disposed at the inner wall of the door (3);

- a housing (5) that is disposed on the water chamber (4), and

- a storage container (6) that can be placed in the housing (5) and that is suitable for storing the goods to be placed therein

characterized by the storage container (6) that enables the temperature fluctuations to which the goods are subjected to be minimized by creating a closed volume between the storage container (6) and the water chamber (4) when placed in the housing (5).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the housing (5) that is disposed in a close position to the lower surface of the water chamber (4).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the storage container (6) the base of which becomes coplanar with the base of the water chamber (4) when placed in the housing (5).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by an opening that is arranged at the front surface of the water chamber (4) and the housing (5) that is accessed by means of the opening and that is almost entirely surrounded by the water chamber (4).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the storage container (6) that is in the form of a drawer.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by at least one guiding member (7) that is disposed at the side surface of the storage container (6) and that extends in the movement direction along the storage container (6), and a slot (8) in which the guiding member (7) that is disposed on the housing (5) moves.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 6, characterized by a stopper (9) that is disposed on the guiding member (7) and that prevents the storage container (6) from coming out of the housing (5).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by more than one foot (10) that is disposed at the inner edges of the storage container (6), and a plate (11) that is placed on the feet (10) and that has a shaped surface.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 8, characterized by the plate (11) that is suitable for eggs to be placed therein.