WO2011009781A2 - Refrigeration device having a removable lower shelf - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration device (10), particularly a household refrigeration device such as a refrigerator or a freezer, having a cooling chamber (12) bounded by side walls (11) and at least one lower shelf (30) removably supported on at least one rib (13) protruding from a side wall (11) into the cooling chamber (12), a sliding cam (35) on the lower shelf (30) and a stop cam (14) on the at least one rib (13) being provided for limiting the removal of the lower shelf (30), and a hook (37) at least substantially positively enclosing the at least one first rib (13) in the vertical direction and that can be brought out of engagement with the at least one first rib (13) being provided. The invention is characterized in that the sliding cam (35) and the hook (37) are disposed in the region of the back side (31) of the lower shelf (30).

Description

 Refrigerating appliance with extendable shelf

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance such as a refrigerator or a freezer, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such refrigerators have a cooling space which is bounded by side walls and a rear wall, and at least one shelf, which is mounted extendable on at least one protruding from a side wall in the refrigerator space rib or rail or bar. In some devices, a slide cam is provided on the shelf, and on the at least one rib a stop cam is provided. The arrangement is such that when pulling out of the shelf from the refrigerator out of the slide cam comes into contact with the stop cam and thus represents a limitation of the extract or the pull-out of the shelf. To remove the shelf is raised, and the cams on the side are disengaged. The removal of the shelf can thus not be achieved in a movement sequence with the withdrawal, but there are two separate movements (pulling and lifting) necessary.

In the description of this invention is based on directional information such as "top", "bottom", "front" and "rear" of a conventional Aufstellweise of the refrigerator, in which there is a door of the refrigerator at the front and at the back of the rear wall. Statements such as "left" and "right" refer to the manner of presentation chosen in the drawing. The slide cam is attached to one side of the shelf, which faces a side wall of the refrigerator. Usually, the slide cam is molded onto the shelf or the shelf is provided with a lateral encapsulation, which contains the Gleitnocken. As a rule, the back of the shelf is also encapsulated, because at this back an upstanding portion is to be provided, which ensures that the refrigerated goods located on the shelf of the rear wall of the refrigerator does not come too close and could freeze to it thus already mini- at least three sides of the shelf to be provided with an encapsulation. This adds complexity to the cost of the manufacturing process of each shelf.

The present invention has for its object to provide a refrigerator with extendable shelf, in which the aforementioned disadvantages do not exist and can be made easily and inexpensively.

This object is achieved with a refrigeration device according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. According to the invention, in a refrigeration device described above, the arrangement is such that a hook is provided on the shelf, which can embrace the at least one rib in the vertical direction - at least substantially - positively and, if desired, can be disengaged from the at least one rib. In addition, the sliding cam and the hook are arranged in the region of the rear side of the compartment floor. That it only needs the back to be designed so that the hook and the sliding cam can be arranged on it. This is true even if the shelf is to be provided on both its left and on its right side with a hook and a sliding cams. In the case of molding these components, only the back side of the shelf must be overmolded and not the two sides. Thus, on the one hand the means for the attack when pulling out of the shelf and on the other hand ensured by the hook ensuring that the shelf when pulling with its back does not tilt away from the top of the rib, arranged together on the back of the shelf Another advantage is in that such a configuration can also be used when the shelf completely encapsulated or, for example, only his left side, right side and back are overmolded. As a result, an increased flexibility in the design of the edges of the shelf is given.

Since it is ensured by the hook that the shelf does not tilt unintentionally when pulling out, no additional, above-located rib needs to be provided on the respective side wall of the refrigerator to support the shelf not only from below, but also from above. Such an additional rib would otherwise be provided in all refrigeration devices in which the unintentional Tilting the shelf when pulling out is not guaranteed by a hook or the like.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the arrangement is such that the hook can be brought out of engagement with the rib by a tilting movement of the front side of the shelf - and thus counter to the effect of gravity of optionally deposited refrigerated goods. Thus, the shelf can not tip away unintentionally when pulling out, but must be raised by a user aware to be able to be completely removed from the refrigerator can.

Preferably, the Gleitnocken and the hook are integrated into a bar which is attached to the back of the shelf. This allows Gleitnocken and hooks, even if they are to be mounted on both the left side and on the right side of the shelf, as a single piece attached to the shelf, for example, molded. It is preferred if the bar also comprises an upwardly projecting portion, with the help of which it can be prevented that placed on the shelf refrigerated goods come too close to the rear wall of the refrigerator, which depending on the design of the refrigerator attached by one of these adjacent Refrigeration device is particularly cold.

A particularly simple arrangement results when the stop cam is formed as a projection which projects from the top of the rib down, and the slide cam is formed as a projection which projects from the bottom of the shelf down.

It may be advantageous if the hook is offset relative to the slide cam to the rear. Thus, the hook has moved as far as possible out of the field of view of a viewer. It is advantageous if the hook has a portion which protrudes from the shelf down and thus can grip the rib well in the vertical direction. It is also advantageous if this section also protrudes to the rear, so that the attacking Point of force, which is optionally exerted in the vertical direction when pulling out of the shelf from the refrigerator, as far back.

To the shelf after the maximum possible withdrawal from the cold room in the state in which the slide cam has come into abutment against the stop cam, to be able to pull out well, it is advantageous if the rib in this area - ie in the region of the stop cam - has on its underside a portion which recedes upward, that is, has a smaller height. This can be realized for example in the form of a gradation or flattening. A particularly simple complete removal of the shelf from the cold room is possible if the rib in the region of the stop cam - ie on its underside - has a height tapering from rear to front first portion which thus forms an oblique surface on its underside, ie the rib has the smallest height at its foremost end and becomes higher and higher in the course of the inclined surface towards the rear. The arrangement is made such that the sliding cam of the shelf, which has come in contact with the stop cam of the rib in the course of pulling out of the shelf, lifted over the stop cam away upwards and brought over this in the vertical and horizontal direction away to the outside can, after the front end of the extracted shelf has been pivoted upwards and thus the hook is moved in this area of the inclined surface during this pivoting operation and thus enough "air" was created that the slide cam can be lifted over the stop cam. In this way, the shelf can be carried out by means of a flowing and only deliberately made by a user movement of the top-pivoting the front of the shelf and lifting the back of the shelf with the slide cam on the stop cam away.

It is advantageous if the rib - viewed from the front - does not have a rectangular or square cross-section, but seen from bottom to top protrudes further and further into the cold room. In other words, that on the underside of the rib is formed in its width from top to bottom tapering second portion which forms a second inclined surface on its underside. The underside of the kens is then accordingly designed so that it has an engagement portion there whose top is substantially parallel to the second inclined surface.

The stability of the support of the shelf in the course of pulling out of the refrigerator can be improved if one of the first rib horizontally spaced, further located at the door of the refrigerator second rib is provided on the side wall on which the shelf rests. For this purpose, the top of the second rib must be substantially flush with the top of the first rib. There is enough space between the first and second ribs for the "unthreaded" hook to be moved upwardly in this space so as to allow the shelf to be moved upwardly after it has been pulled out and swung up to completely clear the shelf to be able to remove the refrigerator.

It is preferred that the shelf and also the respective design or contouring of the respective side walls with respect to the slide cams, stop cams and hooks are symmetrical to a center plane of the refrigeration device parallel to the side walls. That in other words, that the respective shelf at its rear side is configured identically on both sides, whereby it is guided better and more stable and held on the respective ribs. A particularly simple design and handling results from the fact that the rib on each upper side has a sliding surface on which the underside of the Gleitnockens can be slidably moved.

According to an alternative embodiment, the hook does not completely surround the rib in the vertical direction and rests against the underside of the rib with a hook, but engages from the side - ie horizontally - into the rib. For this purpose, the rib has a horizontally extending from the front to the rear portion in which a horizontally extending from front to rear groove is provided. In the region of the underside of the Gleitnockens the hook is arranged and engages as in the horizontal direction of the Gleitnocken projecting projection in the horizontal direction in the groove. Thus, the hook and the slide cam are formed as a single piece. In other words, the underside of this single piece forms the sliding cam which rests on the rib and slides thereon, and at the same time this underside also forms the hook which is in the Groove of the rib engages. It is of course important that the groove is substantially closed in the vertical direction, so that the hook can not be moved upwards. Only in the region of the stop cam, the groove has an upwardly open opening through which the hook can be moved upwards. This opening is designed so that the hook can be moved out of this only by means of a pivoting movement of the front side of the shelf upwards and not by, for example, a pivoting movement of the shelf down (which otherwise could occur unintentionally). For this purpose, a corresponding projection and a corresponding bevel are provided at the top of the opening, which allow only a removal of the hook from the opening by the above-described pivoting movement.

It is advantageous if the slide cam and the hook are made of PU (polyurethane), PE (polyethylenes), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and / or POM (polyoxymethylene), in particular attachment by injection molding onto the shelf being preferred.

In practice, it has proved to be advantageous if the shelf is designed as a continuous storage area, which is preferably formed of glass or polyacrylic. Further advantages, features and special features will become apparent from the following detailed description of various embodiments of the refrigerator according to the invention. Show it:

Fig. 1, the left side wall of a first embodiment of a refrigeration device according to the invention obliquely from the bottom right in perspective

 Presentation;

Fig. 2, the left side wall of the first embodiment of the invention

 Refrigerating appliance from obliquely right above in perspective view;

Fig. 3a, the first embodiment in side view with inserted

Fold bottom; Fig. 3b is a view similar to Fig. 3a, but with pulled out

 Fold bottom;

4 is a detail view of the first embodiment in a sectional view from the front.

Figures 5a - 5c show various stages in the extraction of the shelf or the hook from the rib;

FIG. 6 shows a representation similar to FIG. 3a of a second embodiment of the refrigerating appliance according to the invention; FIG.

Fig. 7 is a similar to Fig. 5a representation of a third embodiment of

 Invention; 8 shows a representation similar to FIG. 4 of a fourth embodiment of the refrigerating appliance according to the invention; and

9 shows the fourth embodiment of the refrigerator according to the invention in

 Side view.

1 and 2, the side wall 11 of a refrigerator 10 according to the invention with a shelf 30 is shown in a perspective view. To support and guide the shelf 30 serve two ribs 13 and 19, the exact configuration will be described later in detail. In order to attach the shelf in different height positions in the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator 10, a plurality of these ribs 13 and 19 are arranged one above the other, for the sake of clarity in Fig. 1, only two pairs of ribs 13 and 19 are shown. It goes without saying that both in this and in all the embodiments described below, the right side wall 1 1 of the refrigerator 10 according to the invention and the right side of the shelf 30 located there are designed to be analog or symmetrical to a vertical median plane of the refrigerator 10 can, on the one hand to achieve a uniform design of the cooling chamber 12 of the refrigerator and on the other hand, to make the guide and the support of the shelf 30 as optimal as possible.

On the back 31 of the shelf 30, a bar 33 is molded, which comprises a portion 34 which projects substantially vertically upwards. This section 34 represents a stop for refrigerated goods, so that it can not get too far to the rear or too close to the rear wall of the refrigerator 10 on the shelf 30. The strip 33 also comprises on its underside a hook 37 which has a section 37a projecting downwards from the strip 33 and an engagement section 38 projecting from the lower end of the section 37a, the upper section 39 facing the underside of the first rib 13 and, if appropriate, comes into contact with this first rib 13.

FIGS. 3a and 3b respectively show the first embodiment from the side, with the side wall (not shown) of the refrigeration device being located on the side of the drawing plane facing the observer. The strip 33 with the upwardly projecting portion 34 and the hook 37 are here on the right side of the drawing. On the underside of the strip 33 embracing the rear side 31 of the compartment 30, a sliding cam 35 is formed, the underside 36 of which (see Fig. 5b) rests and slides on top of the first rib 13, which forms a sliding surface 13b. From the representation of Fig. 3a and 3b it can be seen that the portion 37a of the hook 37 not only projects downwards, but also towards the rear, ie towards the rear wall of the refrigeration appliance 10. As a result, the angle of the downwardly projecting portion 37a of the hook 37 to the vertical is about 30 °, but it is not limited thereto, of course. As can also be seen from FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, the upper side 39 of the engagement section 38 does not rest directly on the underside of the first rib 13 but is located at a small distance therefrom. However, as soon as the shelf 30 is lifted upwards on its rear side 31, the upper side 39 of the engaging section 38 can come into abutment with the underside of the first rib 13.

If the shelf 30 is pulled out, for example, by pulling on the front 32 of the refrigerator 12, the Gleitnocken 35 comes into abutment against a Stop cam 14, which is provided at the front end of the rib 13. This stop of the slide cam 35 on the stop cam 14 ensures that the shelf 30 can not be pulled out too far. As can be seen from FIGS. 3a and 3b, the shelf 30 does not rest on the upper side of the stop cam 14, but only on the second rib 19 located on the left of the first rib 13 and on the sliding surface 13b of the first rib by means of the slide cam 35 13th

As shown in Fig. 4, the engaging portion 38 of the hook 37 does not project exactly horizontal to the side wall 1 1 out, but the top 39 is formed inclined relative to the horizontal. Accordingly, the underside of the rib 13 is not formed horizontally, but it has on its underside a second portion 13 a, which forms a second inclined surface 18. Here, the inclined surface 18 and the top 39 of the engaging portion 38 in a "normal" position of the compartment 30 disposed in the cooling compartment in approximately parallel to each other. Of course, the invention is not limited to this embodiment of the underside of the rib 13 and the top 39 of the engagement portion 38. For example, the bottom of the rib 13 could also be much flatter or even horizontally formed.

In order to completely remove the shelf 30 in the position shown in Fig. 5a from the cooling space of the refrigerator 10, the front end 32 of the shelf 30 as shown in Fig. 5b has to be pivoted by about 15 ° upwards. Since on the one hand at the front end of the rib 13 on the underside an oblique surface 16 is provided, which continues beyond the stop cam 14 to the rear, and on the other hand, a certain game down to the top 39 of the engagement portion 38 is present, the hook 37 obstructs this pivoting operation not, but the top 39 of the engagement portion 38 comes to lie approximately parallel to the inclined surface 16, the one

Angle of about 15 ° to the horizontal has. Of course, this is to be regarded only as an example of the configuration of the inclined surface 16, to which the present invention is not limited. After the pivoting of the shelf 30 this can still be lifted a piece up until the slide cam 35 is above the stop cam 14 and the shelf 30 unhindered forward - ie in the horizontal direction - can be pulled out. This situation is shown in Fig. 5c. The re-insertion of the shelf 30 is in the reverse direction, namely by sliding the Gleitnockens 35 on the stop cam 14 to the rear, the front end 32 of the shelf is pivoted up, lowering the shelf 30 down and pivoting back of the front end 32 of the shelf 30 down until the shelf 30 is located approximately in a horizontal position and additionally lent on the second rib 19. Thereafter, the shelf 30 can be inserted to the rear in the refrigerator.

Fig. 6 shows a second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the invention. In this embodiment and in all subsequent embodiments, like reference numerals designate like elements, unless otherwise indicated. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described. In this second embodiment, no separate second rib 19 is provided, but the first (and therefore only) rib 13 "is extended forward beyond the stop cam 14. The" unthreading "of the shelf 30 is performed in a similar manner as in the first embodiment. After the slide cam 35 has been moved outwardly beyond the stop cam 14, during which the engagement portion 38 has moved along the inclined surface 16, the shelf 30 can be completely pulled out of the refrigerator compartment before the stop cam 14 has a lower height, as it corresponds to the distance between the underside of the Gleitnockens 35 and the top 39 of the engagement portion 38. However, the shelf 30 can be removed from the refrigerator only by further pulling it over the front part of the rib 13 ", while in the first embodiment it is also possible to open the shelf 30 with its rear end after passing the hook 37 on the stop cam 14 still further increase until the hook 37 above the front rib 19 can be moved past this from the refrigerator of the refrigerator.

Fig. 7 shows a third embodiment of the refrigerator according to the invention, which differs in the design of the front portion of the rib 13 from the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, no inclined surface is provided at the front end of the rib 13, but the underside of the rib 13 is formed as an upwardly receding portion 17. In this front portion 17 so a step on the underside of the rib 13 is formed. Also through this stage is the in connection pivoting operation of the front end 32 of the shelf 30 described in detail with the first embodiment possible to completely remove the shelf 30 from the refrigerator can.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention. This fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the design of the rib 13 'and the slide cam 35' and of the hook 37 '. The rib 13 'has a portion 13c which extends horizontally from back to front and in which a rearwardly extending groove 13d is provided. This groove 13d is accessible in the horizontal direction, ie from the side (in FIG. 8 from the right). As shown in Fig. 8, the underside of the slide cam 35 'rests on the underside of the groove 13d and slides thereon. In the lower region of the Gleitnockens 35 'is a projection 37' from which projects into the groove 13d and acts as a hook. The projection 37 'can not be moved upward because it is prevented by the upper end of the groove 13d thereon. It should be noted that here the Gleitnocken 35 'on the one hand and the hook 37' on the other hand are formed as a single part.

The groove 13d is substantially closed in the vertical direction. "Substantially closed in the vertical direction" here means that the groove 13d is not open at the top over most of its length, but has an upwardly open opening only in the area of the stop cam 14 '. This opening is dimensioned so that the slide cam 35 'with the hook 37' only by a rotational movement, which is effected by corresponding pivoting up of the front end 32 of the shelf 30, out of this opening is movable. This can be effected, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, by limiting the front end of this opening by a corresponding projection 13e of the stop cam 14 ', while widening the rear end of the opening by a chamfer 13f.

All embodiments of the present invention are characterized in that the extraction, the stop and the removal of the shelf by appropriate design of Gleitcockens, the hook, the stop cam and the rib can be performed very easily and not prone to interference. It should be understood that the features of the invention described with reference to particular embodiments, such as the nature and configuration of stop and slide cams, hooks and ribs, may be present in other embodiments as well, unless otherwise stated banned by itself for technical reasons.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 refrigerators

 1 1 side wall

 12 refrigerator

 13 first rib

 13 ', 13 "rib

 13a second section

 13b sliding surface

 13c section

 13d groove

 13e lead

 13f bevel

 14, 14 'stop cam

 15 first section

 16 first inclined surface

 17 receding section

18 second bevel

 19 second rib

 30 shelves

 31 back side

 32 front side

 33 bar

 34 protruding section

35, 35 'slide cam

 36 bottom

 37, 37 'hook

 37a downwardly projecting section

38 engaging section

 39 top

Claims

1 . Refrigeration appliance (10), in particular household refrigeration appliance such as refrigerator or Freezer, with a cooling space (12) bounded by side walls (11), and at least one shelf (30) extendable on at least one of a Side wall (11) in the cooling space (12) protruding first rib (13) is mounted, wherein the shelf (30) a sliding cam (35) and at the at least one rib (13) a stop cam (14) for limiting the extension of the shelf (30) are provided, characterized in that the at least one first rib (13) in vertical Direction of at least substantially substantially positively encompassing and out of engagement with the at least one first rib (13) engageable hook (37) is provided, and that the Gleitnocken (35) and the hook (37) in the region of the back (31) of the shelf (30 ) are arranged. 2. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hook (37) by a pivoting movement of the front side (32) of the shelf (30) upwardly out of engagement with the at least one first rib (13) can be brought. 3. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the slide cam (35) and the hook (37) are integrated in a strip (33) attached to the back (31) of the shelf (30). 4. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the strip (33) has an upwardly projecting Section (34). 5. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stop cam (14) as from the top of the first rib (13) upwardly projecting projection and the slide cam (35) as from the Bottom of the shelf (30) downwardly projecting projection is formed. 6. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hook (37) relative to the slide cam (35) is offset to the rear. 7. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hook (37) from the shelf (30) from downwardly and preferably rearwardly projecting portion (37a). 8. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the region of the stop cam (14), the underside of the rib (13) has an upwardly receding portion (17). 9. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the region of the stop cam (14), the first rib (13) has a first portion (15) which tapers in terms of its height from the rear towards the front and forms a lower inclined first surface (16). 10. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the underside of the first rib (13), a second section (13a), which tapers in terms of its width from top to bottom, forms a bottom inclined second surface (18), and the hook (37) has, in the region of its lower end, an engagement section (38) whose upper side (39) is substantially parallel to the second inclined surface (18). 11. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of the first rib (13) horizontally spaced, from a rear wall (11 a) of the cooling chamber (12) further than the first rib (13) remote, second rib (19) on the side wall (1 1) is provided wherein the top of the first rib (13) is at least substantially flush with the top of the second rib (19). 12. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the shelf (30) and the contouring of the two side walls (1 1) are at least substantially symmetrical to a vertically extending, to the side walls (11) parallel to the central plane of the refrigerator (10). 13. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first rib (13) has on its upper side a sliding surface (13b) on which the underside (36) of the sliding cam (35) is slidably movable. 14. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one first rib (13 ') has a horizontally from front to rear extending portion (13c) in which a horizontally from front to rear extending groove (13d) is provided, in the region of the underside of Gleitcockens (35 ') of the hook (37') is arranged and as in the horizontal direction of the Gleitnocken (35 ') protruding projection in the horizontal direction in the groove (13d) engages, and the groove (13d) is substantially closed in the vertical direction and has an upwardly open opening only in the area of the stop cam (14 '), through which the hook (37') can be opened only by means of a pivoting movement of the front side (32 ') of the shelf (30th ') up out of engagement with the groove (13c) can be brought. 15. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide cam (35) and the hook (37) made of PU, PE, PET and / or POM produced, in particular molded onto the shelf (30), are. 16. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shelf (30) is designed as a continuous storage area. 17. Refrigerating appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shelf (30) is made of glass or polyacrylic.