Hinge bearing block

A bearing block has a screw guided through a bore of the bearing block as well as a bearing sleeve which has an internal thread which is in engagement with the external thread of the screw and whose outer surface serves as a door support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a bearing block having a screw guided through a bore of the bearing block.

Such a bearing block is known from the prior art. In already known embodiments, the screw guided through the bearing block is made as a bearing screw which has a threaded section as well as a section without a thread which serves as a bearing for a door of an appliance. The adjustment of the bearing block is realized by means of a fixing plate which is received in a guide at the rear side of the bearing block. This fixing plate is inserted into the bearing block before the assembly of the door and is fixed by screwing in the bearing screw.

An embodiment of this type known from the prior art is shown inFIG. 1, left hand representation. The bearing block is marked by10in it and the fixing plate is marked by the reference numeral20. As can be recognized fromFIG. 1, left hand representation, the fixing plate20is received in a groove on the rear side of the bearing block10. The bearing block10has a bore through which the bearing screw30is guided. The bearing screw30has a threaded section which is in engagement with the internal thread of the fixing plate20and fixes the bearing block10to the fixing plate20in this manner.

The thickness or height of the bearing block10cannot be appreciably reduced due to the thickness of the fixing plate20and the said guidance in the bearing block10.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the underlying object of the invention to further develop a bearing block of the first named kind such that it has a reduced thickness with respect to previously known embodiments.

This object is solved by a bearing block having the features herein. Provision is accordingly made for the bearing block to have a bearing sleeve which has an internal thread which is in engagement with the external thread of the screw and whose outer surface serves as a door support. The bearing block in accordance with the invention thus manages without the fixing plate known from the prior art. It is thus also not necessary to provide a groove for the reception of a fixing plate in the rearward region of the bearing block. The fixing of the bearing sleeve takes place in that the named bearing sleeve is screwed onto the screw guided through the bearing block and said screw is then tightened. A lower thickness of the bearing block can thus be achieved by the embodiment of the bearing block in accordance with the invention than with the already known solution in accordance withFIG. 1, left hand representation.

The bearing block can be connected to an installation plate which has one or more bores for the fixing of the plate at the carcass of the appliance or of any other component. It is conceivable that the appliance is a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit at whose front side or—in the case of a chest—at whose upper side the installation plate is arranged. In this connection, the bearing block preferably extends perpendicular to the installation plate and parallel to the upper edge of a door arranged at the appliance.

Provision can furthermore be made for the bore of the bearing block through which the screw is guided to be made as an elongate bore. This makes it possible to carry out a particularly simple adjustment of the door. A door supported by means of the bearing block in accordance with the invention can be aligned particularly simply in this manner. It is only necessary for this purpose to release the bearing sleeve from the screw guided through the bore of the bearing block, to displace it into the desired position in the elongate bore and then to tighten it again by means of the screw.

The bearing block can be made as a cast part, for example.

It is particularly advantageous for the internal thread of the bearing sleeve to extend over the whole length or over a substantial length of the hollow space of the bearing sleeve. With the bearing block known from the prior art, there is the risk that the thread at the fixing plate, which holds the bearing block in its position, tears off at too high a torque. Since in accordance with this embodiment of the invention, in the bearing block of the invention, the thread extends substantially over the total length of the sleeve, this risk is no longer given.

Provision can furthermore be made for the bearing sleeve to have a first section in which the hollow space having the internal thread is located and a second section which is formed by a guide plate which adjoins the first section. Provision can be made in this connection for the bearing bock to have a cut-out on its side remote from the guide plate in which the guide plate can be received or is received in the assembled state.

It is particularly advantageous for the cut-out to have a depth which corresponds to or exceeds the thickness of the guide plate. This has the result that the thickness of the guide plate does not contribute to the total thickness of the bearing block. It is rather the case that, in accordance with this embodiment of the invention, the guide plate does not project beyond the bearing block in the assembled state so that the total thickness of the arrangement is determined by the thickness of the bearing block.

Provision can furthermore be made for the cut-out to be made as a groove. The groove preferably extends parallel to the plane which is formed by the installation plate. The groove preferably extends parallel to the front side or to the upper side of a refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit so that the door or a cover of the appliance can be aligned accordingly.

Provision is made in a further embodiment of the invention that the guide plate is rectangular or square shaped.

The invention further relates to a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit having a door and/or a cover, with the appliance having at least one bearing block in accordance with the description herein and with the bearing sleeve being received in a recess of the door or of the cover. The appliance can, for example, be a refrigerator or a freezer, a fridge/freezer combination or also a refrigerator or freezer chest. In the case of a refrigerator or freezer or a combination made as a cabinet, the bearing block in accordance with the invention preferably forms the upper support of the door. The lower bearing of the door can be fixed, i.e. made to be non-adjustable. The possibility generally exists of also making the lower bearing in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The inventive bearing block in accordance with the present invention is provided with the reference numeral50inFIG. 1, right hand image, and inFIG. 2. The bearing block50is connected in one piece to the installation plate60which extends at right angles to the bearing block50. The installation plate60serves for the installation of the arrangement at the carcass of a refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit. For this purpose, the installation plate60has bores for the reception of corresponding fastening screws.

The bearing block50has an elongate bore52which extends parallel to the plane formed by the installation plate60.

The screw70is received in this elongate bore52and its head is dimensioned such that the head of the screw70lies on the marginal region of the elongate bore52.

The bearing block50in accordance with the invention furthermore comprises the bearing sleeve80.

The bearing sleeve80has a cylindrical section82and the guide plate84which adjoins it directly and which can be square or preferably rectangular in plan view. The guide plate84and the cylindrical bearing section82are made in the form a component, i.e. in one piece, and form the bearing sleeve80.

The cylindrical section82of the bearing sleeve80has a hollow space which extends in the axial direction of the section82, is provided with an internal thread and in which a section of the screw70is received in the installed state of the bearing block50. The internal thread of the bearing sleeve80is in engagement with the external thread of the screw70.

The outer side of the cylindrical section82of the bearing sleeve80is made smooth and serves as an upper door bearing, i.e. the bearing sleeve80is received in a bore located at the upper side of the door in the installed state of the door of the appliance such that the door is pivotable around the bearing sleeve80.

On the side of the bearing block50facing the bearing sleeve80, said bearing block has a groove90which is open to the side of the bearing block50and extends parallel to the plane formed through the installation plate60or to the plane formed through the closed door of the apparatus and parallel to the elongate bore52.

The groove90is dimensioned such that the guide plate84can be received in it.

On the installation of the door, it is first placed onto the lower door bearing. The bearing sleeve80or its lower section82is then inserted into the upper bearing bore of the door. Subsequently, the screw70guided through the elongate bore52of the bearing block50is introduced into the bearing sleeve80and is screwed to it until the guide plate84is received in the groove90of the bearing block50. The depth of the groove90is selected such that it does not exceed the thickness of the guide plate84, i.e. the guide plate84is received in the groove such that it does not project beyond it. The total thickness of the arrangement in the assembled state is thus determined by the thickness of the bearing block50.

In the assembled state, the bearing block50is bounded by the head of the screw70on the upper side and by the guide plate84on the lower side. The screw70and the bearing sleeve80are fixed in their positions relative to the bearing block50in this manner.

If the inclination of the door should be adjusted, the screw70, which is accessible from above by means of a suitable tool, is released such that the screw70and the guide plate84can be displaced in the groove90of the bearing block50until the desired inclination of the door is obtained. As soon as this is the case, the screw70is tightened again and the bearing sleeve80, and thus also the door, are again fixed in their positions.

The bearing block in accordance with the invention has the advantage that the thickness of the bearing block and thus also the thickness or height of the appliance top can thus be considerably reduced with respect to the previously known solution, substantially to the height of the guide plate. There is furthermore an advantage that due to the fact that the internal thread of the bearing sleeve can be made over the latter's total length, the risk of the tearing off of the thread existing with the previously known arrangement is eliminated.