EP2010840B1 - Household appliance - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cabinet-like household appliance having a housing surrounding an interior space and at least one strut, which is mounted engaging in a first and a second recess of opposing first and second walls of the interior, wherein at least the first recess part of one in the first wall formed groove.

Known household appliances of this type are, for example, refrigerators with shelves in the form of a grate, which is formed by two extending in the transverse direction of the housing wire struts and wire struts interconnecting longitudinal wires, the wire struts engage in horizontal grooves in the side walls of the housing. In the document US 3 402 907 a refrigerator is shown, on the inside of the door holding handles of door cabinets are mounted with the help of Befestigungsstucken.

These struts, or the shelves to which they belong, may generally be pulled out of the grooves forwards without appreciable resistance, so that they are not suitable for attaching thereto fixtures to which forces parallel to the grooves in use become.

There is therefore a need for a household appliance that allows secure attachment of such components.

The object is achieved in that in a household appliance with a housing surrounding an interior and at least one strut, which is mounted engaging in a first and a second recess of opposing first and second walls of the interior, wherein at least the first recess part of a in the first wall formed groove, in the groove engages a flexible latching projection which blocks a movement of a first end of the strut out of the recess along the groove and displaceable by a movement of the first end of this strut along the groove to the recess out of the groove is. The strut is thus easy to assemble, but it is in the assembled state by a force opposite to the mounting direction force not easily detached from its mounted position.

If the recesses on both walls of the interior are each parts of mutually parallel grooves, the assembly of the strut can be done by parallel displacement along the grooves.

The latching projection is displaceable out of the groove by a pivoting movement of the strut, which has the second recess as the center.

In order to minimize the likelihood that other internals of the interior hinder the pivoting movement of the strut, the groove is oriented substantially horizontally.

The first recess is provided at a closed longitudinal end of the groove, so that a single latching projection is sufficient to have the first end of the strut in the recess substantially immovable.

The latching projection may be formed by an engaging in the groove flexible tongue with a recess facing the free end. When the groove is bounded by two substantially parallel ribs projecting from a vertical wall surface, the tongue may conveniently be formed by a portion of one of the ribs unconnected to the wall surface.

For stiffening, at least one of the ribs may have a corrugated course.

The recesses and the groove may be formed on moldings, which in turn are mounted on walls of the housing.

In order to hang a built-in tilt-proof, at least two struts are suitably provided. Recesses for these two struts can be advantageously formed on a same molding.

To secure the built-in part of the strut, it may be provided with a form-fitting embrace the elastic hooks.

In particular, the built-in part may be a frame in which a container is held out.

According to a preferred application of the invention, the built-in part is an ice maker.

In this case, the container may be a Eisstückformbehälter or a container for ice cubes.

If necessary, the collecting container is arranged below the Eisstückformbehälters.

In order to remove finished pieces of ice from the Eisstückformbehälter, the latter is preferably between a first position in which mold recesses of Eisstückformbehälters are open at the top and can be frozen in the filled in the mold recesses water therein, and a second position rotatable in which the mold recesses down are open.

If the frame is housed in a closable compartment of a compartment of the interior, the flap expediently has a recess through which the container in the closed position of the flap can be pulled out. Thus, on the one hand, the handling of the container is simplified and accelerated because an opening and closing of the flap is eliminated; on the other hand, the compartment receiving the frame remains protected from heat and moisture by the flap.

In order to minimize the passage of warm air at the recess of the flap, the frame of the ice maker preferably has a front plate, which is opposite to the flap in the closed position of the flap and thereby covers the recess.

In order to facilitate the handling of the pull-out container, this is preferably provided with a handle which projects in the assembled position of the container via the front plate of the frame into the recess.

A knob of the ice maker, which serves to rotate the Eisstückformbehälters, is also expediently by a recess of the flap through closed flap accessible. Thus, the finished pieces of ice can be removed from the mold without opening the flap.

This knob preferably engages a first longitudinal end of the ice-cream forming container and the freedom of movement of the rotation caused thereby is limited by a contour cooperating with the opposite second longitudinal end of the ice-cream forming container.

To solve finished pieces of ice from the Eisstückformbehälter, the latter is preferably elastically deformable by a torque acting on the knob.

In order to facilitate the filling and repositioning of the Eisstückformbehälters in the ice maker, the Eisstückformbehälter is preferably rotatably suspended in a frame which is pulled out of the frame together with the Eisstückformbehälter.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Kältegeräts;

Fig. 2

eine vergrößerte Ansicht der oberen Klappe des Kältegeräts aus Fig. 1 mit einem dahinter angeordnetem Eisbereiter;

Fig. 3

einen schematischen Schnitt in Tiefenrichtung durch den oberen Bereich des Korpus des Kältegeräts aus Fig. 1;

Fig. 4

den Eisbereiter aus Fig. 2 und 3 ohne die Klappe;

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt durch den Eisbereiter;

Fig. 6

eine zweite Ausgestaltung des Eisbereiters in einer zu Fig. 4 analogen Ansicht;

Fig. 7

einen Schnitt durch den Eisbereiter aus Fig. 6;

Fig. 8

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Rahmens, der vorgesehen ist, um den Eisbereiter daran aufzuhängen; und

Fig. 9

eine Teilansicht eines Seitenteils des Rahmens aus Fig. 8.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the invention;

Fig. 2

an enlarged view of the upper flap of the refrigerator Fig. 1 with an ice maker arranged behind it;

Fig. 3

a schematic section in the depth direction through the upper portion of the body of the refrigerator Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4

the icemaker off Fig. 2 and 3 without the flap;

Fig. 5

a section through the icemaker;

Fig. 6

a second embodiment of the ice maker in a zu Fig. 4 analog view;

Fig. 7

a cut through the icemaker Fig. 6 ;

Fig. 8

a perspective view of a frame, which is provided to hang the icemaker thereon; and

Fig. 9

a partial view of a side part of the frame Fig. 8 ,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a freezer with a body 1 and an open door 2, which enclose a divided into several compartments interior 3. Each compartment is closed by a flap 4 and 5, which is pivotable about a respective horizontal axis extending adjacent to its lower edge. The flaps 5 of the three lower compartments are closed and are each provided with a grip recess 6 extending over substantially the entire width of the flap. In the case of the flap 4 of the upper compartment, the recessed grip 6 is shortened, and in a lateral region of the flap, two recesses are formed, an upper, circular recess 7 and an angular recess 8 open towards the lower edge of the flap.

As in particular in the section of the Fig. 2 and in the enlarged view of the flap 5 in FIG Fig. 2 can be seen, the lower, open-edge recess 8 is substantially filled by a handle 9, the (in Fig. 2 not visible) drawer of an arranged behind the flap 5 icemaker 10 belongs. Through the circular recess 7 through a knob 11 of the ice maker 10 is accessible.

The icemaker 10 has a frame in the form of two closed-walled half-shells 12, which are hooked on its underside pivotally to each other, and of which one on its top elastic strap 13 carries, which are snapped onto locking projections 14 of the other half-shell. By bending up the bracket 13, the half-shells 12 can be unfolded to expose their interior for maintenance or cleaning.

On the upper sides of the half-shells 12 also hooks 24 are formed, the free ends of which face the rear end of the frame. As in the section of the Fig. 3 can be seen, the hooks 24 are provided to anchor the frame to two struts 25, in more detail later in a manner described on side walls of the Body 1 are anchored. The free ends 26 of the hooks 24 are in the illustration of Fig. 3 bent slightly downward to cause a latching on the positively engaged by the hooks 24 struts 25. Alternatively, for the same purpose, a bump may be formed on the upper edge of the half-shells 12 in each case opposite the free end of each hook.

In the open position of the flap 4, the entire ice maker 10 is accessible and can be removed by simply removing the struts 25. The removed ice maker can then be easily disassembled into its individual parts, for example, to clean them in a dishwasher. A re-assembly of the ice maker 10 is carried out accordingly by simply snapping onto the struts 25th

In order to fill the ice cube container 18, it is necessary to open the flap 4 and pull out the container 18 together with the frame carrying it from the shield 15, arms 16 and plate 17 to the front and push it back after filling. The housing consisting of the two half-shells 12 remains in place during this time.

How out Fig. 3 and 4 becomes clear, the knob 11 is rotatably mounted on a plate 15 which is pushed onto the upper front corner of the frame 12, 13 from the front. On the shield 15 are two in Fig. 5 shown in section arms 16 which extend within the half-shells 12 over its entire depth, and at its opposite end of the plate 15 a vertical plate 17 carry. A Eisstückformbehälter 18 of substantially semi-cylindrical shape, which is parallel to the cutting plane of the Fig. 5 extending intermediate walls 19 is divided into a plurality of Eisstückfächern 20, resting on concave inner surfaces of the arms 16 and is held in the longitudinal direction between the plate 15 and the plate 17. Through an opening of the plate 15 of Eisstückformbehälter 18 is firmly connected to the knob 11. When the flap 4 is in the closed position, the shield 15 fits closely against the back of the flap 4, completely covering the edge of the recess 7. Accordingly, the front sides of the half-shells 12 are close to the back of the closed flap 4 and cover the recess 8. An air exchange between the closed by the flap 4 compartment and its surroundings is therefore only possible with the door 4 closed by air through the narrow spaces between the knob 11 and the surrounding edge of the recess 7 and flows between the rear of the flap 4 and the shield 15 and between the sides of the handle 9 and the edges of the recess 8 and between the back of the flap 4 and the front of the half-shells 12 along. A significant exchange of air and heat does not take place in this way.

If later the finished ice cubes are to be released from the container 18, it is no longer necessary to open the flap 4; it is sufficient to turn the knob 11 in a clockwise direction until the ice cube container 18 in Fig. 5 achieved as a dashed outline position in which it abuts with an edge to a protruding from the plate 17 rib 21.

By turning the knob 11 beyond this position, the ice-formed container 18 is elastically deformed, thereby releasing the ice pieces formed therein and falling between the two arms 16 into a push blade 22 connected to the handle 9 in the lower portion of the frame. The thrust blade 22 is slightly smaller in cross-section than the open-edged recess 8, so that they can be pulled out by the latter. The release of the pieces of ice and their removal is done so without opening the door 4.

A modified embodiment of the ice cube maker is in the 6 and 7 shown. The shield 15 is omitted here; instead, the knob 11 extends directly through an opening at the front of the half-shells 12, and the ice-maker box 18 is sized to be withdrawn through this opening. Fig. 6 shows the Eisstückformbehälter 18 resting on two extending in the depth direction arms 16 which are stationary in the frame 12, 13. A half shell 12 carries a series of inwardly projecting hooks 23, one for each shape of the ice mold container 18. The hooks 23 differ slightly in their dimensions so that upon rotation of the ice mold container 18, one hook after another with a piece of ice in a mold the container 18 comes into contact and pushes it out of the mold. The dissolved pieces of ice fall as in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 5 in a drawer 22 below the Eisstückformbehälters 18, which can be pulled out by means of the handle 9 without the flap 4 to open.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the already mentioned, parallel between the side walls of the body extending struts 25 and two mold parts 27 which connect the struts 25 with the side walls of the body 1, not shown in the figure.

The struts 25 are hollow profiles with rounded rectangular cross-section made of aluminum, stainless steel or a bending-resistant, in particular fiber-reinforced plastic. The molded parts 27 are injection-molded plastic parts having a front wall 28 and a rear wall each in the form of two triangles overlapping at their corners and the horizontal and vertical wall sections 29 to 32 connecting the catheters of the right-angled triangles. From the outer sides of the vertical wall sections 32 are pins 33 from which are provided to engage positively in not shown recesses of the side walls of the body 1. On the mutually facing inner sides of the vertical wall portions 30 support ribs 35 are arranged for the support of the struts 25, which in Fig. 9 are shown and described in relation to this figure. The horizontal wall portions 29 is divided by a notch 34.

Fig. 9 shows a plan view of the inner sides of the vertical wall portions 30, 32 of a part of the molded parts 27. A hook-shaped support rib 35 extends from the horizontal wall portion 29 of arc-shaped downwardly, wherein it terminates in a portion 36 parallel to the wall portion 29. The carrier rib 35 is connected in one piece with the vertical wall portion 30 along its entire length. A strut 25 is shown positively received between the support rib 35 and the wall portion 29.

The length of the strut 25 is dimensioned so that their longitudinal ends abut each of the vertical wall portions 30 of the two mold parts 27 or with little play, so that the strut 25 by moving in its longitudinal direction not from the support rib 35 of the two mold parts 27 solvable is.

A displacement of the strut 25 in the depth direction of the body is locked in one direction by the support rib 35 itself and in the opposite direction by a rib 37, of which a longitudinal end 38 of a narrow side of the strut 25 at a small distance opposite. The opposite longitudinal end merges with a crosswind of the notch 34. The rib 37 is only on a part of its length, in the perspective of Fig. 9 to the right of a dashed boundary line 39, integrally connected to the wall portion 30. The left of the line 39 lying part of the rib 37 thus forms a tongue 40, which, as in the FIG. 9 shown as a dashed outline, flexibly deflected downwards. In order to stiffen the rib 37 in its remaining, integrally connected to the wall portion 30 region 41, this has a wavy course.

The horizontal wall portion 29 and the rib 37 together define a groove 42 that is wide enough to horizontally translate one end of the strut 25 therein. As in Fig. 8 shown by the example of the rear strut 25, the struts 25 may occupy a dashed oblique position, in which one end of the strut 25 is held by the carrier rib 25 of the mold parts 27, while the other end of the groove 42 of the other mold part 27th but without intervening. In this position, the strut is easily placed, when the mold parts 27 are inserted with their pins 33 in the corresponding recesses of the side walls. By turning the strut 25 about its end held on the support rib 35 in a position perpendicular to the sidewalls, its other end gradually engages in the groove 42 and reaches into it an in Fig. 9 as a dashed cross section 25a drawn position in which it touches the tongue 40 and this opposes a further rotation of the strut 25. If the strut 25 is rotated further against the resistance of the tongue 40, it passes through an in Fig. 9 designated 25b position in which the tongue 40 is displaced elastically downwards. The displaced tongue 40 is shown as a dashed outline. From the position 25b out the end of the strut 25 can finally engage between the support rib 25 and the wall 29, as shown in the figure as a solid outline, and the tongue 40 returns to its relaxed position shown in relaxed, in which it rotation of the Strut 25 blocked in the opposite direction and thereby fixed.

In order to solve the strut 25 again if necessary, it is sufficient to insert a finger into the groove 42 in order to press the tongue 40 down so far that it allows a rotation of the strut 25 again.

Claims (21)

1. Household appliance comprising a housing enclosing an inner chamber and at least one strut (25) which can be installed in an engaging manner in a first and a second recess of opposing first and second walls of the inner chamber, wherein at least the first recess is part of a groove (42) which is formed in the first wall, wherein the groove (42) is orientated substantially horizontally, wherein the first recess is provided at a closed longitudinal end (35) of the groove (42), wherein the first end of the strut (25) is installed in the first recess and the second end is installed in the second recess, and wherein a flexible detent projection (40) engages in the groove (42) and blocks the first end of the strut (25) from moving from the recess along the groove (42) and during installation of the strut (25) can be displaced out of the groove (42) by moving the first end along the groove (42) toward the recess, characterised in that the strut (25) can be swivelled about the second recess as a centre point, and in that the detent projection (40) can be displaced by a swivelling movement of the strut (25) which has the second recess as a centre point.
2. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the detent projection is a flexible tongue (40) which engages in the groove (42) with a free end that faces the recess.
3. Household appliance according to claim 2, characterised in that the groove (42) is delimited by two substantially parallel ribs (30; 36, 37) which protrude from a vertical wall face (31), and in that the tongue (40) is formed by a section (40) of one of the ribs (36, 37) that is not connected to the wall face.
4. Household appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that at least one of the ribs (37) has a corrugated profile.
5. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the recesses and the grooves (42) are formed on moulded parts (27) installed on walls of the housing.
6. Household appliance according to claim 5, characterised in that recesses for two struts (25) are formed on each moulded part.
7. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a fixture (10) is suspended on the strut (25).
8. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fixture (10) comprises a resilient hook (24) which encompasses the strut (25) with positive fit.
9. Household appliance according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the fixture (10) is a case in which a container (18, 22) is held in a manner in which it can be pulled out.
10. Household appliance according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that it is a refrigerating device and in that the fixture (10) is an ice maker.
11. Household appliance according to claim 9 and claim 10, characterised in that the container is an ice cube moulding container (18).
12. Household appliance according to claim 9 and claim 10, characterised in that the container is a storage container (22) for ice cubes.
13. Household appliance according to claim 12, characterised in that the storage container (22) is arranged below an ice cube moulding container (18).
14. Household appliance according to claim 11 or 13, characterised in that the ice cube moulding container (18) can be rotated between a first position, in which moulded recesses (20) of the ice cube moulding container (18) are open at the top, and a second position, in which they are open at the bottom.
15. Household appliance according to claim 9 or one of claims 11 to 14, characterised in that the case (12, 12) is accommodated in a compartment of the interior (3) which can be closed by a flap (4), and in that the flap (4) has a recess (7, 8) through which the container (18, 22) can be pulled out when the flap (4) is closed.
16. Household appliance according to claim 15, characterised in that the case (12, 12) has a front panel (15) which, when the flap (4) is closed, opposes the flap so as to cover the recess (7).
17. Household appliance according to claim 16, characterised in that the container (18, 22) comprises a handle (9, 11) which, when the container is in the installed position, protrudes over the front panel into the recess (7, 8).
18. Household appliance according to claim 14 and one of claims 15 to 17, characterised in that a rotary knob (11) of the ice maker which is used to turn the ice cube moulding container (18) is accessible through a recess (7) in the flap (4) when the flap (4) is closed.
19. Household appliance according to claim 18, characterised in that the rotary knob (11) acts on a first longitudinal end of the ice cube moulding container (18), and in that the freedom of rotation is limited by a contour (21) that interacts with the opposing second longitudinal end of the ice cube moulding container (18).
20. Household appliance according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the ice cube moulding container (18) can be elastically deformed by means of a torque acting on the rotary knob (11).
21. Household appliance according to claim 14 or one of claims 18 to 20, characterised in that the ice cube moulding container (18) is rotatably suspended in a frame (15, 16, 17) which can be pulled out of the case (12, 13) together with the ice cube moulding container (18).

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