ES2395511B1 - Refrigerator appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Refrigerating apparatus comprising at least one heat-insulated enclosure (2), at least one container (5) that is housed in said enclosure (2), at least one support element (6) fixed to the enclosure (2), in which hooks the container (5), and at least one shelf (4) disposed in said enclosure (2), wherein the container (5) rests on the shelf (4), and comprises at least one fixing element (9) on the back (8) that cooperates with the support element (6).

Description

"Refrigerator"

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The present invention relates to refrigerating appliances, in particular refrigerators or vertical freezers with housed containers.

PREVIOUS STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

Refrigerators are known, in particular refrigerators or vertical freezers of domestic type comprising at least one heat-insulated enclosure in which at least one container is housed.

In said devices it is usual to have at least one intermediate horizontal shelf in said heat-insulated enclosure, and in some devices there is also at least one support element that is fixed to the heat-insulated space or to the shelf and into which the container is attached.

Cooling apparatus are known in which the support element is attached to the shelf and the container is attached to said support element, being suspended therefrom and therefore also from the shelf.

W02007122047 A2 describes a refrigerating apparatus with at least one heat-insulated enclosure that comprises at least one built-in accessory, preferably an ice cube-producing container. The heat-insulated enclosure is divided into different cooling compartments by means of intermediate horizontal shelves. comprising at least one support element fixed to at least one of said cooling compartments. Said support element is fixed to the side walls of the cooling enclosure and extends along its interior; In order to achieve a more secure fit of the container to the cooling enclosure, two parallel support elements are preferably arranged, and the container comprises two integral elastic hooks located in

its upper part that the support elements embrace, thus leaving the container suspended from said support elements.

EXHIBITION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a cooling apparatus as defined in the claims.

Refrigerators, in particular domestic refrigerators or vertical freezers, are provided with at least one heat-insulated enclosure in which at least one container is housed. Said apparatuses also comprise at least one intermediate horizontal shelf in said heat-insulated enclosure, and there is at least one support element that is fixed to the heat-insulated enclosure.

The container, which comprises at least one fixing element in its rear part, is housed in the cooling enclosure, relying on the horizontal intermediate band and cooperating the fixing element with the support element.

In this way, a container housing is obtained in the safe, reliable, aesthetic and at a reduced cost heating enclosure, since a single support element is used.

Its use by the user is simple, since to accommodate the container in the heat-insulated enclosure, it only has to support said container on the shelf and push until the fixing element of the container cooperates with the support element; A secure and reliable connection is thus obtained because when the user wants to access the interior of the container and pulls it, it is retained by the support element thus avoiding unnecessary and dangerous operations.

In addition, the aesthetics in the composition of the assembly of the container on the shelf improves, because when the container cooperates with the support element by means of the fixing element that is located on the back, the same vertical reference of the front part is always achieved of said container.

These and other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent in view of the figures and the detailed description of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of the refrigerator apparatus of the

invention. Fig. 2 shows a partial perspective view of a compartment of cooling of the cooling apparatus of Fig. 1, where a container is housed.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the container of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the support element fixed to the side walls of the heated enclosure. Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the retention element. Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the end of the support element

supported on the ramp of the fixing element.

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the end of the support element housed in the housing of the fixing element. Fig. 8 shows a detailed perspective view of the components of the

container producing ice cubes. Fig. 9 shows a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of the container fixing element.

Fig. 10 shows a side view of the container of Fig. 9.

DETAILED EXHIBITION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows a front view of a household type refrigerator 1, in particular a vertical freezer, with the door open; said apparatus 1 is provided, in this embodiment, with a heat-insulated enclosure 2, which is divided into different cooling compartments 3 by means of intermediate horizontal shelves 4.

In said refrigeration compartments 3 a single removable container, or a front cover that allows access to the interior of the refrigeration compartment, or a number of smaller, removable containers 5, 5 'which are arranged in parallel therein can be arranged cooling compartment 3.

In Fig. 2 a heat-insulated enclosure 2 is shown with an intermediate horizontal shelf 4 forming a cooling compartment 3, in which said shelf 4 can be a glass tray or a plastic tray or a grill or an evaporator with the built-in grill; in said refrigeration compartment a support element 6 is arranged in this embodiment that is fixed to the heat-insulated enclosure 2, and a container 5 is arranged resting on its base 7 on the surface of the shelf 4. The container 5 comprises at its rear 8 a fixing element 9 that cooperates with the support element 6.

The support element 6 is a rod or at least comprises a rod-shaped section where it cooperates with the fixing element 9 of the container 5, and said fixing element 9 comprises a piece that allows cooperation with the support element 6 by engaging to the rod section of this one.

The fixing element 9 of a first embodiment is a general hook-shaped part comprising two parts, as can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, a first part 10 having an L-shape with one of its ends attached to the rear part 8 of the container 5 and the other end directed downwards, forming a hook, and a second part 11 that starts from the end of the L not attached to the container 5 forming a ramp that is inclined upwards.

In a second embodiment, the fixing element 9 is also a hook-shaped part comprising two parts, as can be seen in Figs. 9 and 10, a first part 10 having an L-shape with one of its ends attached to the rear 8 of the container 5 and the other end directed upwards, and a second part 11 that starts from the end of the L not attached to the container 5 forming a ramp that is inclined downwards. The inclination of said second part 29 is between approximately 30 ° and approximately 60 °. As mentioned, the support element 6 is a rod fixed to the heat-insulated enclosure 2; as shown in Fig. 4, the support element 6 is fixed to the heat-insulated enclosure 2 joining its ends 12 to the side walls 13 of said enclosure 2 by means of a retaining element 14.

The inclination of said second part 11 is between approximately 30 ° and between approximately 60 °.

In Fig. 5 the retention element 14 is shown, which allows the joining of each of the ends 12 of the support element 6 to the side walls 13 of the enclosure 2, is a piece that is housed in a housing 15 of said side walls 13; said retaining element 14 comprises, in this embodiment, a base 16 housed in said housing 15, an elastic and floating wall 17 leaving a groove 18 of the base 16, which is U-shaped and protrudes a height of the base 16 , and a ramp 20 located in the internal part of the U-shaped wall 17, which begins in the open part of said U at the same height as the base 16 up to a distance from the closed part of the U at least that of the thickness of the support element 6 and without protruding from the height of the wall 17, creating a housing 22 of the ends 12 of the support element 6 in said wall 17.

A sequence of how the support element 6 is fixed at its ends 12 to the retaining elements 14 is shown in Figs. 6 and 7; Fig. 6 shows how said ends 12 are first supported on the ramps 20 of the retaining elements 14, and then, as shown in Fig. 7, the support element 6 is pressed down to slide its ends 12 through said ramps 20 until they are housed in the housing 22 of the retention element 14. The sliding of the ends 12 of the retention element 14 on the ramp 20 is achieved when pressing said ends 12 on the ramp 20, when it is connected to the elastic and floating wall 17 on the base 16, yields until by pressure the ends 12 are housed in the housing 22; once the ends 12 of the support element 6 are housed, it is subjected to axial pressure in its longitudinal axis due to the elasticity of the walls 17 and is firmly fixed to the side walls 13 of the heat-insulated enclosure 2.

The removable 5.5 "smaller containers that are arranged in parallel in

the same cooling compartment 3, can be of the container type

Producer of ice cubes 23 or of the drawer type for storing food.

As shown in Fig. 8, the ice cube producing container 23 is

5

a container 5 also called twist-ice or ice-maker, which is basically

a drawer that when manually operated comprises a container 25, a

ice cube producing device 26 removable from container 25 and a

ice cube collecting drawer 27 also removable from container 25 and

arranged below the ice cube producing device 26; the drawer

10

of ice cubes 27 is removable in two positions, an intermediate position for

extracting the ice cubes that have been poured into said drawer 27 from the device

producer of ice cubes 26, once they have been formed in it and the user

you want to use them, and a final position in which the drawer 27 can be removed outside the

2S container for example for cleaning, The cube-producing device of

1S

Ice 26 is removable out of the 2S container to refill your water tanks and your

subsequent formation of ice cubes, as well as for cleaning, The

front of the ice cube producing container 23 with the producing device

of ice cubes 26 and the ice cube collecting drawer 27 removed in the

inside the 2S fertilizer, it is in the same vertical plane.

twenty

The food storage drawer is a single piece S 'container with a

front with a handle that allows its extraction from the cooling compartment 3, or

it is a container S 'with at least two pieces, one of which is a container

food storage and the other is a removable front cover from the container,

25

In this way a number of containers 5, 5 'of the type mentioned above

above they are arranged in parallel in the same compartment of

cooling 3, rest on their bases 7 on a shelf 4 arranged in said

compartment 3, and each container S, S 'is hooked independently by

30

means of the fixing element 9 arranged at its rear part 8, to the element of

support 6 arranged in said cooling compartment 3 and fixed to the walls

sides 13 of the refrigerated enclosure 2,

To house each container S, S 'in the cooling compartment 3 and obtain

3S

a secure and reliable connection with the support element 6, the fixing element 9 of

each container 5, 5 'is attached to the rear part 8 thereof at such a height

which, by inserting the container S into the cooling compartment 3

resting on the shelf 4, the second part 11 of the shaped fixing element 9

inclined ramp impacts with support element 6, and by continuing to push

40

the container S, S 'the second part 11 in the form of an inclined ramp slides

on the support element 6 until the first part 10 of the element of

hook-shaped fastener 9 engages the support element 6. In this way, a secure and reliable housing of the container 5, 5 'is obtained inside the cooling compartment 3 of the heat-insulated enclosure 2.

Its use by the user is simple, since to accommodate a number of containers 5, 5 'in a refrigeration compartment 3 of a heat-insulated enclosure 2, said containers 5, 5' independently engage the support element 6 and when the user wants to access the interior of the container 5, 5 'for use, pulls the handle of the front cover of the internal drawer of the container 5, 5' for its extraction, so that it draws said drawer and the container from the container 5, 5 'remains firmly attached inside the cooling compartment 3; when the container 5, 5 'does not have a removable drawer or when you simply want to remove the container 5, 5' from the cooling compartment 3, the user simply unhooks the fixing element 9 of the container 5, 5 with his hands 'of the support element 6 and can proceed to remove the container 5,

At the same time, an aesthetic composition of the containers 5, 5 'on the shelf 4 is obtained in its housing in the cooling compartment 3, because when the containers 5, 5' cooperate with the support element 6 by means of the fixing element 9 found in the rear part 8, the same vertical reference of the rear part 8 of the containers 5, 5 'is always achieved, and in this way the same vertical reference can be obtained with the front of said containers, 5, 5',

The referenced and reliably attached housing of the containers 5, 5 'in the cooling compartment 3 of the heat-insulated enclosure 2 is obtained at a reduced cost compared to other systems used and known in the state of the art, since it is obtained by means of a fixing element 9 that is preferably made of plastic, in a single piece with the container 5, 5 'and in the same injection process, and is attached to a single support element 6 which can be a plastic or metal rod , in turn attached to the side walls 13 of the heat-insulated enclosure 2 by means of retaining elements 14 which are preferably plastic obtained in an injection process,

The user can decide at any time to remove the support element 6 from the cooling compartment 3, either due to a change of the winter season or for any other reason.

Claims (16)

1.-Refrigerator apparatus comprising: at least one heated room (2), at least one container (5) that is housed in said enclosure (2), at least one support element (6) fixed to the enclosure (2), in which the container (5), and at least one shelf (4) arranged in said enclosure (2), characterized in that the container (5) rests on the shelf (4), and comprises the minus a fixing element (9) on the back (8) that cooperates with the support element (6). 2. Refrigerator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support element (6) comprises at least one rod-shaped section and the fixing element (9) comprises at least one piece that engages said section. 3. Refrigerating apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the fixing element (9) is a piece with a shape comprising two parts, a first part (10) in the form of L with an end attached to the container (5 ), forming a hook where the rod-shaped section of the support element (6) is attached, and a second ramp-shaped part (11) that starts from the end of the L not attached to the container (5). 4. Refrigerator apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the end of the first part (10) not attached to the container (5) is directed downwards, and the second part (11) is inclined upwards. 5. Refrigerator apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the end of the first part (10) not attached to the container (5) is directed upwards, and the second part (1 1) is tilted down. 6.-Refrigerator appliance according to claim 3 to 5, wherein the second parle (11) has an inclination between approximately 30 ° and approximately 60 °. 7. Refrigerating apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support element (6) is a rod attached at its ends (12) to the side walls (13) of the heat-insulated enclosure (2) by means of an element of retention (14). 8. Refrigerating apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein each retaining element (14) is housed in a housing (15) of the side wall (13) of the heat-insulated enclosure (2), and comprises a base (16) housed in said housing (15), an elastic and floating wall (17) on the base (16) that is U-shaped and protrudes from the base (16) at a height, and a ramp (20) on the inner part of the wall (17), which begins at the open part of said U at the height of the base (16) up to a distance from the closed part of the U at least that of the thickness of the support element (6) and without exceeding the height (19) of the wall (17), creating a housing (22) of the ends (12) of the support element (6) in said wall (17). 9. Refrigerator apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container (5) is an ice cube producing container (23). 10. Refrigerator apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the ice cube producing container (23) comprises a container (25), an ice cube producing device (26) and an ice cube collecting drawer (27) . 11.-Refrigerating apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the ice cube collecting drawer (27) is removable in two positions, an intermediate to extract the ice cubes, and an end in which the drawer (27) can be remove out of the container (25). 12. Refrigerator apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein it comprises at least a second container (5 '). 13. Refrigerator apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the second container (5 ') is a drawer for storing food. 14-Refrigerating apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the food storage drawer comprises a removable front cover. 15. Refrigerator apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat-insulated enclosure (2) is divided into different cooling compartments (3) by means of intermediate horizontal shelves (4), and at least one of said cooling compartments (3) the support element (6) is arranged. 16. Refrigerator apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the containers (5.5 ") are arranged in parallel in the same cooling compartment (3), hooked to the support element (6) independently, and the front of said containers (5.5 ') is in the same vertical. 17. Refrigerator apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in where the horizontal shelf (4) can be a glass tray or a tray plastic or a grill or an evaporator with the built-in grill.