EP2049853B1

EP2049853B1 - A refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP2049853B1
Application number: EP07788021.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Emre Ozyuksel; Burak Ozpolat; Levent Orundu; Fatma Sarioglu
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2006-07-31
Filing date: 2007-07-30
Publication date: 2014-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 2027-07-30
Also published as: WO2008015181A2; WO2008015181A3; CN101523142B; RU2403512C1; CN101523142A; EP2049853A2; RU2009107201A; ES2525224T3

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising a drawer.
In refrigerators the food items and various containers are emplaced on the shelves and/or the trays. Particularly breakfast foods such as cheese, olives, butter, jam that are usually consumed infrequently, a number of times and at various intervals are kept in small covered bowls. However, carrying these types of small bowls, that are not at all small in number, one by one to the table and then back again to the refrigerator can be a laborious procedure for the user.
Consequently, drawers have been developed for carrying small breakfast dishes all together. An implementation to this effect is given by the German patent application no. DE10339942 . In this document, a drawer is explained that can be slid between the rails on the sides of a shelf. The cover covering the drawer is also mounted by sliding between the rails. In this embodiment, a separate cover is used for insulating the inner space of the drawer and a special rail for mounting this cover.
In the implementation explained in the United States of America patent no.
US4944566 , an accessory storage system can be moved in the wire rails under the shelf. The rails are attached to the shelf afterwards by means of brackets.
In the United States of America patent application no. US2003201700 , a cover is described that is attached to the drawer with an arm and rotatable around a horizontal axis. When the drawer is pulled out, the arm provides the cover to rise upward by rotating around an axis.
In the German patent no. DE1286523 , magnets are used for insulation when the drawer is put in place.
In the European patent application no. EP520786 , a drawer is described that is moved forwards and backwards beneath the shelf.
In the United States of America patent no. US4775201 , a food bin is explained which can pivot around its rear side. The drawer is in contact with the lower surface of the shelf when in the closed position.
A refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from JP2004301356 .
Moreover, the sealing element used in insulating the state of the art drawers can only be disposed at certain positions, particularly at the entrance and exit of the region wherein the drawer is placed. This causes the insulation to be inadequate.
The object of this invention is to design a refrigerator comprising an easily movable drawer with a better insulated inner space.
The refrigerator designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention is explicated in the attached claims. In the refrigerator of the present invention, a shelf is provided that can be moved along a guide. When the drawer is on one end of the guide, it is in a loading position at a lower level wherein the user can access, and when on the other end, is at a storing position on a higher level wherein the foodstuffs contained therein are insulated. The mentioned guide rises upwards while extending from e.g. the front of the body to the back or from one side wall to the opposite wall and in the storing position, the upper side of the drawer engages with the lower surface of the shelf entirely. The drawer rests against the shelf by rising up from below, being different from the prior art implementations wherein it slides parallel and adjacent to the lower surface of the shelf during the entire movement. Thus, the upper side does not brush against the shelf during the movement and does not hinder the motion of the drawer. Since the lower surface of the shelf serves as a cover for the drawer, the use of a separate lid is not required. The volume defined by the drawer and the shelf is efficaciously insulated from the outside.
The guide is configured as a channel that starts from the forefront of the body and extends towards the rear wall. On both sides of the drawer, extensions, pins etc are provided to be fitted in these guides.
A distance is provided between the guide and the rib such that the drawer will not contact, or brush with the lower side of the shelf while moving from the loading position to the storing position. At the vicinity of the storing position, the guide rises closer to the rib so that the drawer can contact with the lower surface of the shelf.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a sealing element is provided that encircles all around the upper periphery of the drawer.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the guide at the vicinity of the storing position is horizontal. The length of this portion equals the depth of the driver. Thus the drawer stays in the storing position by itself as long as the user does not pull it back.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the guide at the storing position is vertical. Thus the drawer moves towards the lower surface of the shelf like an elevator and there is no problem of attrition. In this embodiment, a retainer is used for the drawer to stay in the storing position. This retainer can be configured as a latch-slot etc. or any other form for locking of the shelf with the drawer or the body.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an arm is used that displaces some portion of the sealing element from the lower surface of the shelf because of the vacuum formed at the inner space thereof for facilitating separation of the drawer from the lower surface of the shelf while returning back from the storing position to the loading position. This arm can be for example like a resilient band fixed inside the drawer and extending outwards over the sealing element. Or it can be a biasing means closing a hole formed at the inner space of the drawer. When the user pulls the arm, the air that fills into the drawer from the opened hole or from the stretched part of the sealing element abolishes the vacuum effect. By this means, a handle is formed with which the user can hold the drawer and also ease of motion is provided.
The refrigerator designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the schematic view of a refrigerator when the drawer is in the loading position.
Figure 2 - is the schematic view of detail A while the drawer is moved between the loading position and the storing position.
Figure 3 - is the schematic view of detail A when the drawer gets closer to the storing position.
Figure 4 - is the schematic view of detail A when the drawer is in the storing position.
Figure 5 - is the perspective view of the drawer.
Figure 6 - is the perspective view of the refrigerator when the drawer gets closer to the storing position.
Figure 7 - is the perspective view of the refrigerator when the drawer is in the storing position.
Figure 8 - is the schematic view of detail A in another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 - is the schematic view of detail A when the drawer is in the storing position in another embodiment of the present invention.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Refrigerator
2. Body
3. Door
4. Guide
5. Rib
6. Shelf
7. Drawer
8. Extension
9. Sealing element
10. Partition
11. 110. Retainer
12. Arm

The refrigerator (1) of the present invention comprises,

a body (2),
a door (3) that covers up this body (2),
at least one shelf (6) whereupon the food items are emplaced, and
a drawer (7) on which the shelf (6) is disposed (Figure 1).

The refrigerator (1) of the present invention in addition to the above, comprises a drawer (7) shaped like an open-top box and at least one guide (4) on which the drawer (7) moves. The drawer (7) is moved along the guide (4) between a loading position at a lower level wherein the top is open and the user can access (Figure 1) and a storing position at a higher level wherein the top is closed by the upper side contracting with the lower surface of the shelf (6) and the inner space being insulated (Figure 2 and Figure 3). In other words, the drawer (7) gets closer to the shelf (6) as it moves towards the storing position, and gets away from the shelf (6) as it moves towards the loading position. The guide (4) follows a path that does not allow the drawer (7) to contact with the shelf (6) from the loading position to just before the storing position (Figure 2 and Figure 3).
In this embodiment of the present invention, the drawer (7) containing e.g. breakfast food is mounted between two guides (4) when the user wants to place thereof into the body (2). The top of the drawer (7) is open when in the loading position (Figure 1). The user can load or unload any desired item into/from the drawer (7) that is near the front side of the body (2). When the user starts pushing the drawer (7) towards the rear wall of the body (2) (Figure 2), the drawer (7) proceeds by following a path in accordance with the guide (4) but does not brush against the shelf (6) in the meantime. The drawer (7) that proceeds along the guide (4) rises upwards when it gets closer to the storing position (Figure 2). The upper side of the drawer (7) first gets closer the lower surface of the shelf (6) with a certain angle (Figure 3 and Figure 6) and afterwards provides the inner space of the drawer (7) to be insulated by engaging therewith altogether (Figure 4 and Figure 7).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises a sealing element (9) that encircles all around the upper periphery of the drawer (7) to provide a better insulation in the storing position. When the drawer (7) reaches the storing position, the sealing element (9) is wedged in between the drawer (7) and the lower surface of the shelf (6), providing a better insulation (Figure 4).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide (4) is shaped like channels formed oppositely on the side walls of the body (2) by means of configuring recesses-protrusions. In this embodiment, the drawer (7) comprises two separately positioned extensions (8), each on one side, that engage with the guide (4) (Figure 5). The extensions (8) facilitate the movement of the drawer (7) along the guide (4).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the guide (4) at the vicinity of the storing position extends horizontally (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 7). The drawer (7) engages with this horizontal portion and stays in the storing position until the user exerts a force.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the guide at the storing position extends in a vertical direction (Figure 8). Thus the drawer (7) moves towards the lower surface of the shelf (6) vertically. In this embodiment, the refrigerator (1) comprises a retainer (11, 110) to keep the drawer (7) from sliding downwards along the guide (4) by the effect of gravity (Figure 8 and Figure 9). The retainer (11, 110) can be configured in the form of a latch-slot etc. for locking of the drawer (7) with the shelf (6) or the body (2).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises a movable arm (12) for disturbing the vacuum formed at the inner space of the drawer (7) that resists the motion thereof while drawn back from the storing position, and providing air to enter into the drawer (7) (Figure 8 and Figure 9). In an embodiment, this arm (12) is shaped like a band that extends out of the drawer (7) over the sealing element (9) (Figure 8). In another embodiment, the drawer (7) comprises a hole (not shown in the figures) formed at the inner space and the arm (12) opens or closes this hole. As the user pulls the arm (12), the air that fills in from the opened hole or from the stretched part of the sealing element (9), facilitates the separation of the drawer (7) from the storing position.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the drawer (7) comprises more than one side-by-side partition (10) (Figure 5). Foodstuff is placed in these partitions (10). The partitions (10) can either be produced in the same mould with the drawer (7) or produced individually, separate from the drawer (7).
By means of the refrigerator (1) of the present invention, the user can preserve the foodstuff in the drawer (7) without using a separate lid.

Claims

A refrigerator (1) used for storing foodstuff by cooling, comprising, a body (2), a door (3) that covers up this body (2), at least one shelf (6) whereupon the food items are emplaced, a rib (5) whereon the shelf (6) is disposed and, a drawer (7) shaped like an open-top box, said refrigerator being characterized by at least one guide (4) providing the drawer (7) to be moved between a loading position at a lower level wherein the top is open and a user can get access inside and a storing position at a higher level wherein the top is closed by an upper side contacting with a lower surface of the shelf (6) and an inner space being insulated; and in that said guide follows a path that does not allow the drawer (7) to contact with the lower surface of the shelf (6) until just before the storing position.
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by a sealing element (9) that encircles all around an upper periphery of the drawer (7).
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by guide (4) shaped like channels formed by configuring recesses- protrusions oppositely on the side wall of the body (2) and a drawer (7) comprising two separately positioned extensions (8) each on one side that engages with the guide (4).
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a portion of the gride (4) which extends horizontally at the vicinity of the storing position.
A refrigerator (1) in any one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized by a portion of the gride (4) which extends in a vertical direction at the vicinity of the storing position and a retainer (11, 110) that prevents the drawer (7) from sliding ack along the guide (4).
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 5, characterized in that the retainer (11, 110) is configured like a latch- slot that provides locking of the drawer (7) with the shelf (6) or the body (2).
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by an arm (12) that is used in disturbing the vacuum formed at an inner volume of the drawer (7) in the storing position, allowing air to enter into the drawer (7) by moving.
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 6, characterized by a band shaped arm (12) that extends over the sealing element (9) out of the drawer (7).
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 6, characterized in that the drawer (7) has a hole formed at the inner space and an arm (12) that opens or closes this hole.
A refrigerator (1) as in claim 9, characterized in that the arm (12) when pulled by a user facilitates the separation of the drawer (7) from the storing position as air enters in from the opened hole or from a stretched portion of the sealing element (9).
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized in that the drawer (7) comprises more than one side-by-side partition (10).