Patent Publication Number: US-9903642-B2

Title: Refrigeration device having a tray

Description:
This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/EP2013/065112 filed 17 Jul. 2013 which designated the U.S. and claims priority to DE Patent Application No. 10 2012 213 425.5 filed 31 Jul. 2012, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     The invention relates to a refrigeration device having an interior in which a shelf is arranged. The invention further relates to a tray for such a refrigeration device. 
     Refrigeration devices, in particular refrigeration devices configured as domestic appliances, are known and are used for household management in the home or in the catering field in order to store perishable foodstuffs and/or beverages at specific temperatures. 
     A refrigeration device is disclosed in DE 10 2010 004 219 A1 which has a shelf fixedly arranged in an inner container of the refrigeration device as well as a component which is able to be pulled out and pushed in relative to the shelf. The component runs on rollers which are arranged directly or indirectly in or on the shelf. Such rollers remain, however, in the inner container when the shelf is not inserted into the inner container and therefore impair the visual appearance of the inner container. 
     It is, therefore, the object underlying the invention to provide a refrigeration device having a more visually attractive appearance. 
     These objects are achieved by the subjects of the invention having the features according to the independent claims. Advantageous developments form the subject matter of the dependent claims. 
     The present invention is based on the recognition that a particularly visually attractive interior of a refrigeration device is achieved by a tray which is supported in a displaceable manner on rollers on the shelf. 
     According to a first feature, the object according to the invention is achieved by a refrigeration device in which a tray supported in a displaceable manner on rollers is arranged on the shelf. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the tray may be pulled out of the interior of the refrigeration device when the refrigeration device is open, in order to deposit items to be refrigerated on the tray, such as for example perishable foodstuffs and/or beverages, or to remove refrigerated goods. Thus the ease of use of the refrigeration device is increased during operation. Alternatively, the tray may be taken as a whole with the refrigerated goods on the tray out of the interior of the refrigeration device. In this case, no visible rollers which interfere with the visual appearance remain in the interior of the refrigeration device. 
     “Refrigeration device” is understood in particular, therefore, as a domestic appliance, i.e. a refrigeration device which is used for household management in the home or in the catering field and which is used, in particular, to store foodstuffs and/or beverages at specific temperatures, such as for example a refrigerator, an upright freezer, a combined fridge-freezer, a chest freezer or a wine cooler. 
     In an advantageous embodiment, the shelf is encompassed on the edge by a guide rail. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the positioning surface of the shelf is configured to be free from guide elements or guide rails. Moreover, when the tray is not inserted into the interior, the positioning surface may be used as a depositing surface for refrigerated items. Thus the number of potential uses of the refrigeration device is increased. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the guide rail comprises guide surfaces which cooperate with roller side walls of the rollers. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved in that the tray follows a predefined movement path when displaced on the shelf and does not have to be controlled and/or steered. This increases the ease of use of the refrigeration device. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, a pull-out lock is provided, said pull-out lock limiting a displacement of the tray on the shelf in the pulled-out direction. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that a displacement of the tray on the shelf is prevented beyond a point on the movement path at which the refrigerated items stored on the tray would cause the tray to tip up. Thus, the safety is improved when using the refrigeration device. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, a push-in lock is provided, said push-in lock limiting a displacement of the tray on the shelf in the pushed-in direction. 
     As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the tray is prevented from striking against a rear wall which defines the interior of the refrigeration device. Thus the rear wall is prevented from being damaged. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the shelf is manufactured from glass. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the shelf and thus the refrigeration device as a whole have a visually attractive appearance. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the tray has a base made from glass. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the tray and thus the refrigeration device as a whole have a visually attractive appearance. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the rollers are manufactured from rubber. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the displacement of the tray on the shelf results in only a small degree of noise development. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, a positive-fit shell is inserted into the tray. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that refrigerated items which are shapeless, liquid and/or pourable may be stored in the shell and, if required, removed together with the tray, wherein by the positive insertion of the shell an undesired displacement of the shell on the tray is reliably prevented during the displacement of the tray in the interior of the refrigeration device or even outside the interior of the refrigeration device. 
     According to a second feature, the object according to the invention is achieved by a tray for arranging on a shelf which is arranged in an interior of a refrigeration device, wherein the tray comprises rollers so as to be supported on the shelf. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the tray may be removed with the refrigerated items on the tray as a whole from the interior of the refrigeration device. Thus, the transport of a plurality of refrigerated items is thereby simplified. 
     In an advantageous embodiment, a stop is provided for cooperating with a pull-out lock of the refrigeration device, and which limits a displacement of the tray in the pulled-out direction on the shelf. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that a displacement of the tray on the shelf is prevented beyond a point on the movement path at which the refrigerated items stored on the tray would cause the tray to tip up. Thus, the safety is improved when using the refrigeration device. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, a push-in stop is provided for cooperating with a push-in lock of the refrigeration device, and which limits a displacement of the tray in the pushed-in direction on the shelf. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the tray is prevented from striking against a rear wall which defines the interior of the refrigeration device. Thus the rear wall is prevented from being damaged. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the tray has a base made from glass. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the tray and thus the refrigeration device as a whole have a visually attractive appearance. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the rollers are manufactured from plastic. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the displacement of the tray on the shelf results in only a small degree of noise development. 
    
    
     
       Further exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a front view of a refrigeration device, 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a shelf with a tray, 
         FIG. 3  shows a sectional view through the shelf shown in  FIG. 2  with a tray, 
         FIG. 4  shows an enlarged portion of  FIG. 3 , and 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a tray with two shells. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a refrigerator as an exemplary embodiment of a refrigeration device  100  having a refrigerator door  106 . By means of the refrigerator door  106 , an interior  102 , in which a plurality of shelves  104  are arranged, may be opened and closed again. In the present exemplary embodiment, the shelves  104  are fixedly arranged in the interior  102 . Moreover, in the present exemplary embodiment the shelves  104  are manufactured from glass. However, they may be manufactured from another optically transparent material or even from an optically non-transparent material. Items to be refrigerated may be deposited on the shelves for the cold storage of said items. 
     The refrigerator serves, for example, for refrigerating foodstuffs and comprises a coolant circuit with an evaporator (not shown), a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown) and a throttle member (not shown). 
     The evaporator is configured as a heat exchanger in which, after expansion, the liquid coolant is evaporated by the absorption of heat from the medium to be cooled, i.e. air in the interior of the refrigerator. 
     The compressor is a mechanically driven component which draws in coolant vapor from the evaporator and discharges it to the condenser at a higher pressure. 
     The condenser is configured as a heat exchanger in which, after compression, the evaporated coolant is condensed by the output of heat to an external cooling medium, i.e. the surrounding air. 
     The throttle member is a device for the continuous reduction of pressure by reducing the cross-section. 
     The coolant is a fluid which is used for the transmission of heat in the cold-generating system which at low temperatures and low pressure of the fluid absorbs heat and at a higher temperature and higher pressure of the fluid discharges heat, wherein it is generally implicit that the state of the fluid is altered. 
       FIG. 2  shows that the shelf  104  has two guide rails  204  on two opposing longitudinal sides  208 . The guide rails  204  have a U-shaped cross-section in the direction of their longitudinal extent so that they have one respective groove  206  into which the respective edge portions of the shelf  104  on the longitudinal sides penetrate. The guide rails  204  serve for the fixed fastening of the shelf  104  in the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100 , by being connected to the inner side walls of the refrigeration device  100 . 
     A tray  200  is arranged on the shelf  104 . In the present exemplary embodiment, the tray  200  has a peripheral edge  202  and a base  214  which is encompassed by the edge  202  and which is configured as a positioning surface for refrigerated items to be cooled. In the present exemplary embodiment, the base  214  is manufactured from glass. However, it may also be manufactured from another optically transparent material or even from an optically non-transparent material. 
     It is possible that the tray  200  is able to be displaced on the shelf  104  in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the guide rails  204 , so that when the refrigerator door  106  is open, the tray  200  supported on the shelf  104  may be at least partially displaced from the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100  in order to place refrigerated items to be cooled on the shelf  104  and/or to remove said items therefrom. This displacement is limited by a pull-out lock  210  which has a stop  216  arranged on the guide rail  204  and a counter-stop  218  arranged on the frame  202 . The stop  216  has a contact surface  220  and the counter-stop  218  has a counter-contact surface  222  which, when the maximum pulled-out position defined by the pull-out lock  210  is reached, come into contact with one another and thus prevent a further displacement of the tray  200 . 
     After refrigerated items have been placed on the base  214  or removed therefrom, the tray  200  may be subsequently displaced again into the interior  102  and the interior  102  closed again by the refrigerator door  106 . In this case, a push-in lock  212  which limits a displacement of the tray  200  on the shelf  104  in the pushed-in direction prevents the tray  200  from striking against a rear wall defining the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100 . 
       FIG. 3  shows that the tray  200  has rollers  300  which are arranged on its opposing longitudinal sides  208  and which roll on the shelf  104  during the displacement of the tray  200 . The rollers  300  in the present exemplary embodiment are manufactured from plastic. However, they may also be manufactured from a rubber-like material having similar mechanical properties. 
       FIG. 4  shows that the rollers  300  have two respective roller side walls, the external roller side wall  402  thereof cooperating with a guide surface  400  of the guide rail  204 , in order to guide the tray  200  during a displacement on the shelf  104 . Thus, in the present exemplary embodiment, the planes of the roller side wall  402  and the guide surface are parallel to one another, while the plane of the shelf  104  is arranged at right angles thereto. 
       FIG. 5  shows two shells  500  inserted into the frame  202  of the tray  200 . Refrigerated items which are shapeless, liquid and/or pourable may be stored in the shells  500  and, if required, removed together with the tray. The shells  500  have in this case a base portion  502  which is configured for positive insertion into the frame  202  of the tray  200 . Thus the shells  500  inserted into the frame  202  are not subjected to any undesired displacement if the tray  200  with the shells  500  is displaced out of the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100  or into said interior. Moreover, an undesired displacement of the shells  500  on the tray  200  is also reliably prevented if the tray  200  with the shells  500  is lifted from the shelf  104  and removed from the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100  in order to be placed with the refrigerated items in the shells  500  on a table. 
       FIG. 5  also shows that in the pulled-out and/or pushed-in direction, i.e. in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the guide rails  204 , two respective rollers  300  are arranged spaced apart from one another on each longitudinal side  208 . 
     Thus, after opening the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100  by pivoting the refrigerator door  106 , the tray  200  may be displaced out of the interior  102  by rolling the rollers  300  on the shelf  104  until the pull-out lock  210  stops this displacement process. Now the refrigerated items may be removed from the shells  500  or placed there if a shell  500  is inserted into the frame  202 . If no shell  500  is used, refrigerated items may be placed on the base  214  of the tray  200  or removed therefrom. Alternatively, the tray  200 , with or without the shell  500  and/or shells  500 , may also be completely lifted up from the shelf  104  and removed from the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100  in order to place it, for example, on a table. 
     After use, the tray  200  may be placed again with its rollers  300  on the shelf  104  and/or displaced into the interior  102  of the refrigeration device depending on whether the tray  200  has been lifted up from the shelf  104  or merely displaced out of the interior  102 . Finally, the interior  102  of the refrigeration device  100  may be closed again by pivoting the refrigerator door  106 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS 
     
         
           100  Refrigeration device 
           102  Interior 
           104  Shelf 
           106  Refrigerator door 
           200  Tray 
           202  Frame 
           204  Guide rail 
           206  Groove 
           208  Longitudinal side 
           210  Pull-out lock 
           212  Push-in lock 
           214  Base 
           216  Stop 
           218  Counter-stop 
           220  Contact surface 
           222  Counter-contact surface 
           300  Roller 
           400  Guide surface 
           402  Roller side wall 
           500  Shell 
           502  Base portion