WO2020046235A2

WO2020046235A2 - Shelf height adjustment mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2020046235A2
Application number: PCT/TR2019/050318
Authority: WO
Inventors: Erhan Ilhan Konukseven; Ozgur GOKAY; Sevgi ERICEK
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2018-07-12
Filing date: 2019-05-09
Publication date: 2020-03-05
Also published as: WO2020046235A3; EP3820330A4; EP3820330A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a height adjustment mechanism (1) adapted to be used in refrigerators (9) having at least one shelf (10), enabling adjusting the height of the shelf (10), and comprising a rectangular prism shaped frame (2) comprising of vertical and horizontal arms, a rectangular shaped shelf bearer (3) movable upwards/downwards inside the frame (2), on which is placed the shelf (10) whose height is to be adjusted, and four threaded shafts (4) mounted on four corners of the frame (2) in perpendicular direction to the horizontal shelf bearer (3) plane, extending between the lower and the upper arms of the frame (2) by freely passing through the holes on the corners of the shelf bearer (3), and provided with helical threads on their outer cylindrical surfaces.

Description

SHELF HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM

The present invention relates to a shelf height adjustment mechanism adapted to be used in refrigerators, enabling adjusting shelf heights inside a refrigerator body.

In refrigerators, food items and various containers are placed on shelves. Depending on the needs of the users, it may be required to modify the distance between two shelves, i.e. adjusting the height of a shelf in the body. In some refrigerators, a plurality of slots or rails are formed on two opposite walls of the body in order to adjust the height of a shelf. The user changes the height of a shelf by removing it from the slots of a certain elevation and placing it to another slot pair on a desired elevation. However, to that end, the user needs to first pull the shelf out of the body, and then to push the shelf back in after adjusting its height. This creates a problem for the users particularly with coolers whose doors cannot be completely opened. In addition, when the shelf is loaded, the user is obliged to remove the food products from the shelf to change the position thereof.

The patent application no. JP200428641 1 (A) discloses a refrigerator in which the height of a shelf can be changed in certain limits by means of a threaded pulley mounted on the edge portion or the lower portion of the shelf and rotated by means of a belt.

The patent application no. KR20140097798 (A) discloses a shelf assembly enabling changing the height of shelves used in refrigerators.

The aim of the present invention is to realize a shelf height adjustment mechanism adapted to be used in refrigerators, enabling shelf heights to be stably changed by application of a reasonable force by a user, even when the shelf is extremely loaded.

The height adjustment mechanism realized to achieve the aim of the present invention, is used to adjust heights of body shelves used in refrigerators. The height adjustment mechanism of the invention comprises right hand threaded or left hand threaded shafts perpendicularly mounted on the corners of a rectangular prism shaped frame comprising of vertical and horizontal arms, and pulleys with threads cut in their hub bores are mounted on the threaded shafts. The height adjustment mechanism is further provided with a timing belt engaging the periphery of the pulleys. A user moves the timing belt by means of a handle, and the pulleys are thus rotated in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The pulleys which simultaneously rotate, move upwards or downwards on the threaded shafts. Thus, the shelf bearer fitted on the pulleys and therefore the shelf thereon move upwards or downwards by the user puling the timing belt rightwards or leftwards.

The height adjustment mechanism realized to achieve the aims of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a frontal view of the height adjustment mechanism in a refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the height adjustment mechanism.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the height adjustment mechanism.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the height adjustment mechanism, from another angle. Figure 5 is a view of the height adjustment mechanism while being raised.

Figure 6 is a view of the height adjustment mechanism while being lowered.

The elements in the figures are numbered individually and the correspondence of these numbers are given hereinafter.

I . Height adjustment mechanism

2. Frame

3. Shelf bearer

4. Threaded shaft

5. Timing belt

6. Pulley

7. Handle

8. Axial bearing

9. Refrigerator

10. Shelf

I I . Symbol

Y: Upwards

A: Downwards

The height adjustment mechanism (1 ) adapted to be used in refrigerators (9) having at least one shelf (10) on which food products are placed in the cooler/freezer compartments in a body, enabling adjusting the height of the shelf (10), comprises

- a rectangular prism shaped frame (2) comprising of vertical and horizontal arms, and

- a shelf bearer (3) movable upwards/downwards inside the frame (2), on which is placed the shelf (10) whose height is to be adjusted.

The height adjustment mechanism (1 ) of the invention comprises - four threaded shafts (4) mounted on four corners of the frame (2) in perpendicular direction to the horizontal shelf bearer (3) plane, extending between the lower and the upper arms of the frame (2) by freely passing through the holes on the corners of the shelf bearer (3), and provided with helical threads on their outer cylindrical surfaces, and

- four timing belt pulleys (6) with internal helical grooves cut in their hub bores or central bores, mounted on the threaded shafts (4), provided below the shelf bearer (3), performing simultaneously rotation motion and linear motion in upwards/downwards direction on the threaded shafts (4) by means of a timing belt (5) engaging their peripheries and enabling the shelf bearer (3) thereon to be moved upwards/downwards and thereby the height of the shelf (10) to be adjusted. Hereinafter, the term "timing belt pulley" will be referred to as the "pulley

(6)" in short throughout the specification.

The height adjustment mechanism (1 ) further comprises a handle (7) connected to the timing belt (5), enabling the timing belt (5) to be moved in horizontal direction rightwards, i.e. in counter-clockwise direction or leftwards, i.e. in clockwise direction. The "right" and "left" directions are defined with respect to the users.

When it is desired to adjust the shelf (10) height by moving it upwards or downwards depending on the dimensions of the items such as food products, containers, bottles and the like placed in the refrigerator (9), the user actuates the timing belt (5) by means of the handle

(7) by pulling it rightwards or leftwards from front. The pulleys (6) to which the timing belt (5) transmits motion, perform rotation motion in counter-clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled rightwards, and in clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled leftwards. The pulleys (6) performing rotation motion, move upwards or downwards on the threaded shafts (4) on which they are engaged from their hub bores, thereby enabling the shelf bearer (3) fitted on the pulleys (6) and therefore the shelf (10) to be moved upwards or downwards. Once the shelf (10) is brought to a desired height, the user finishes moving the timing belt (5), and the shelf bearer (3) rests fixed on the level to which it is brought. An additional fastening mechanism is not needed for the elevation level to remain stable.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the threaded shafts (4) are right hand threaded (RH), and

- the pulleys (6) rotate in counter-clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled rightwards, moving the shelf bearer (3) upwards, and

- the pulleys (6) rotate in clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled leftwards, moving the shelf bearer (3) downwards.

In an embodiment of the invention, the threaded shafts (4) are left hand threaded (LH), and - the pulleys (6) rotate in counter-clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled rightwards, moving the shelf bearer (3) downwards, and

- the pulleys (6) rotate in clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled leftwards, moving the shelf bearer (3) upwards.

In another embodiment of the invention, the height adjustment mechanism (1 ) comprises four axial bearings (8) interposed between the upper annular surface of the pulleys (6) and the lower surface of the shelf bearer (3), enabling the shelf bearer (3) to be supported by the pulleys (6) moving upwards and downwards linearly simultaneously upon their rotation. Thrust ball-bearings (8) or thrust slide bearings (8) are used as the axial bearings (8).

In another embodiment of the invention, the height adjustment mechanism (1 ) comprises a symbol (1 1 ) provided on the handle (7), indicating by an arrow sign the direction to which the handle (7) should be pulled in order to move the shelf (10) upwards (Y) or downwards (A).

In the height adjustment mechanism (1 ) of the invention, the timing belt (5) is moved rightwards or leftwards by means of a handle (7) provided on the front side, enabling the shelf bearer (3) and the shelf (10) thereon to be stably moved in upwards or downwards direction even when the shelf is extremely loaded, thereby enabling easily adjusting the shelf height. The horizontal state of the shelf (10) is maintained during shifting from the higher position to lower position, and vice versa, within the height adjustment mechanism (1 ). The items on the shelf (10) are averted from being displaced or knocked over during changing the height of the shelf (10).

Claims

1. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) adapted to be used in refrigerators (9) having at least one shelf (10) on which food products are placed in the cooler/freezer compartments in a body, enabling adjusting the height of the shelf (10), and comprising a rectangular prism shaped frame (2) comprising of vertical and horizontal arms, and a rectangular shaped shelf bearer (3) movable upwards/downwards inside the frame (2), on which is placed the shelf (10) whose height is to be adjusted, characterized by

- four threaded shafts (4) mounted on four corners of the frame (2) in perpendicular direction to the horizontal shelf bearer (3) plane, extending between the lower and the upper arms of the frame (2) by freely passing through the holes on the corners of the shelf bearer (3), and provided with helical threads on their outer cylindrical surfaces, and by

- four pulleys (6) with internal helical grooves cut in their hub bores, mounted on the threaded shafts (4), provided below the shelf bearer (3), performing simultaneously rotation motion and linear motion in upwards/downwards direction on the threaded shafts (4) by means of a timing belt (5) engaging their peripheries, and enabling the shelf bearer (3) and the shelf (10) to be moved upwards/downwards.

2. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized by a handle (7) connected to the timing belt (5), enabling the timing belt (5) to be moved in horizontal direction rightwards, i.e. in counter-clockwise direction or leftwards, i.e. in clockwise direction.

3. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized by the right hand threaded shafts (4) and the pulleys (6) rotating in counter-clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled rightwards, and rotating in clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled leftwards.

4. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to claim 3, characterized by the shelf bearer (3) moving upwards when the timing belt (5) is pulled rightwards, and moving downwards when the timing belt (5) is pulled leftwards.

5. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized by the left hand threaded shafts (4) and the pulleys (6) rotating in counter-clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled rightwards, and rotating in clockwise direction when the timing belt (5) is pulled leftwards.

6. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to claim 5, characterized by the shelf bearer (3) moving downwards when the timing belt (5) is pulled rightwards, and moving upwards when the timing belt (5) is pulled leftwards.

7. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by four axial bearings (8) interposed between the upper annular surface of the pulleys (6) and the lower surface of the shelf bearer (3), enabling the shelf bearer (3) to be supported by the movable pulleys (6).

8. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to claim 7, characterized by the thrust ball type axial bearings (8).

9. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to claim 7, characterized by the thrust slide type axial bearings (8).

10. A height adjustment mechanism (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a symbol (1 1 ) provided on the handle (7), indicating the direction to which the handle (7) should be pulled in order to move the shelf (10) upwards (Y) or downwards (A).