Abstract:
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge, by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap, wherein the means for producing a closing force include an eccentric and means which exert a force that acts on the eccentric and is dependent on the opening angle of the door or flap.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is the U.S. National Phase of International PCT Application Serial No. PCT/EP2008/001282, filed Feb. 19, 2008, which claims priority to German Utility Model Application No. 20 2007 002 453.3, filed Feb. 19, 2007, and German Utility Model Application No. 20 2007 005 957.4 filed Apr. 25, 2007, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge, by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     Such refrigerator and/or freezer is known from the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,545 B2 discloses a refrigerator in whose foot region a damper is arranged, which consists of a piston movably accommodated in a cylinder, which is inserted into the cylinder by means of a piston rod, when the door is closed. The cylinder is pivotally arranged on the body of the appliance and extends substantially parallel to the side wall of the appliance. The refrigerator known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,545 B2 furthermore includes means for producing a closing force, which are formed by a coil spring which is tensioned when the door is opened and exerts a closing force onto the door or flap over a specified angular range, so that an automatic and damped closing of the door is effected in said angular range. 
     It is the object of the present invention to improve a refrigerator and/or freezer as mentioned above such that with an opening angle of the door or flap above a specified angle, the door or flap stops in its position determined by the user of the appliance, and that with an opening angle of the door or flap below the specified angle, an automatic closing of the door or flap is effected. 
     This object is solved by a refrigerator and/or freezer appliance with a door or flap for closing an appliance interior, with a hinge, by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to a body of the appliance. Accordingly, it is provided that the hinge includes means for producing a closing force, wherein the means for producing a closing force includes an eccentric as well as means which produces a force that acts on the eccentric and is dependent on the opening angle of the door or flap. In accordance with the invention, it thus is provided that in dependence on the opening angle a closing force acts on the door or flap, which is due to the fact that a force is exerted on an eccentric of the hinge. 
     It is conceivable for instance that the eccentric is configured such that above an opening angle of 55° no more forces which cause a closing movement will act on the door or flap. Thus, the door or flap remains in the position into which it was brought by the user. In this way, it is prevented that from a specified opening angle the door automatically moves into the open end position or is closed automatically. Thus, damages to the appliance, which possibly are caused by unintentional opening of the door, are prevented. 
     The means which produce a force acting on the eccentric can be configured and arranged such that it exerts a compressive force onto the surface of the eccentric. The eccentric can be configured and arranged such that in a first angular range the compressive force produces no torque acting on the eccentric, so that the door or flap stops, and in a second angular range produces a torque acting on the eccentric, which leads to the closing of the door or flap. 
     The hinge can include a first hinge lever and a second hinge lever, one of which is pivotally connected with the door or flap and the other one is pivotally connected with the body of the appliance, wherein the eccentric and the means which produce a force acting on the eccentric each are pivotally arranged on one of the hinge levers or both on one of the hinge levers. 
     In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the hinge includes a first hinge lever and a second hinge lever, one of which is pivotally connected with the door or flap and the other one is pivotally connected with the body of the appliance, and that the hinge furthermore includes a tension lever which is pivotally arranged on the eccentric and on one of the hinge levers, wherein the axis on which the tension lever is pivotally attached to the eccentric does not coincide with the axis of rotation of the eccentric. Via the tension lever, the torque acting on the eccentric is converted into a force which leads to the closing of the door or flap. 
     In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the means which produces a force acting on the eccentric include one or more compression springs and a roller or a sliding element which runs on the surface of the eccentric or acts on the same. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, the means which exerts a force acting on the eccentric are configured as leaf springs, leg springs, spiral springs or coil springs. 
     In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the damper includes a piston moving in a cylinder and a piston rod connected with the piston, which is pivotally attached to the hinge. In this aspect of the invention, the piston rod is directly connected with the hinge. 
     Furthermore, it can be provided that the piston rod is not directly connected with the hinge, but that a damper lever is provided, which is pivotally connected with the piston rod and with the hinge. 
     The damper can be arranged such that independent of the opening angle of the door or flap it extends approximately parallel to the plane formed by the door or flap or to the plane formed by the front side of the body. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, one or more rollers are provided, which are arranged on the damper lever and are configured such that at least when the door or flap is closed, they absorb forces acting transverse to the piston rod of the damper. It is conceivable that when the door or flap is closed, the forces acting transverse to the piston rod are absorbed via the rolling friction, and when the door is opened, they are absorbed via one or more sliding elements running in one or more grooves. 
     Accordingly, it can be provided that one or more sliding elements are directly or indirectly arranged on the damper lever, which are guided in one or more grooves of a carrier. It is possible to provide a configuration both with one or more sliding elements and with one or more rollers. It is likewise conceivable to omit the rollers and absorb transverse forces exclusively via the sliding elements both when opening and when closing the door. 
     For the purpose of varying the damper stroke, it can be provided that one or more spacers are insertable into the groove, so that the free groove length is varied. 
     The damper lever can releasably be connected with the piston rod such that it is coupled with the piston rod over a first opening angle of the door or flap and that it is uncoupled from the piston rod over a second opening angle of the door or flap. In this way, shortening of the required damper path can be achieved. 
     In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the hinge includes a connecting link guide in which means are guided, which exerts a force acting on the eccentric. By changing the connecting link guide, the closing characteristic of the arrangement can be varied. 
     The hinge can include a first lever and a second lever, one of which is pivotally connected with the door or flap and the other one is pivotally connected with the body of the appliance, wherein the connecting link guide is arranged in one of the levers. 
     The means which produces a force acting on the eccentric can be pivotally arranged about a pivot point, whose position can be varied. In this way, it is possible to vary the door closing force or the closing behavior of the door. It is conceivable to form the pivot point by an eccentric bolt. 
     In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the damper includes a piston moving in a cylinder and a piston rod connected with the piston and that for the purpose of varying the damping behavior the position of the piston with respect to the damper cylinder is changed. This relative movement can be achieved by changing the pivotal attachment/arrangement of the damper cylinder on a carrier or the like and/or by changing the pivotal attachment of the piston rod. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, a carrier is provided, in which the damper is arranged, wherein the damper is connected with the carrier for instance by means of a positive connection, preferably by means of a latching connection. In this way, it is achieved that the damper can easily be mounted in the carrier and that the damper can easily be replaced, if necessary. 
     Particularly preferably, a module is provided, which includes a carrier, in or on which both the damper and the hinge are arranged, wherein the module is inserted into the door or flap or into the body of the appliance as a unit. Such modular construction is particularly advantageous, because the mounting effort is minimal and because a change in the door stop can be performed with very little effort. In principle, such modular construction can also be omitted. However, this involves disadvantages for instance when changing the door stop, since the individual components of the hinge or damper of the invention then must directly be incorporated in the door or in the body. 
     In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the hinge and the damper and in particular the module according to claim  20  is arranged outside the cooled region of the appliance. Temperature fluctuations and the disadvantage of a possible formation of condensation water are effectively prevented in this way, and the service life of hinge and damper is prolonged correspondingly. 
     It is conceivable to arrange the hinge and the damper for instance in a region of the door which lies outside the region surrounded by the door seal. This can be in the lower region or also in the upper region of the door. The same applies to an arrangement of hinge and damper on the body. 
     The damper and in particular the module can be arranged in the side of the door facing the body or in the side of the body facing the door. The damper and in particular the module can be arranged substantially parallel to the plane formed by the door or substantially parallel to the plane formed by the front side of the body. 
     The module can be connected with the door or with the body of the appliance by a positive connection, in particular by a latching connecting and/or screw connection. It is conceivable for instance that the module is fixed in the door or in the body in a particularly simple way by positive connection. If necessary, locking can be effected by one or more screws. 
     The invention furthermore relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap, wherein the means for producing a closing force comprise a tension cable which on the one hand is connected with the hinge and on the other hand with one or more tension springs. 
     The present invention furthermore relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap, wherein the means for producing a closing force and the damper are formed by an electric drive. 
     The invention furthermore relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap, wherein a module is provided, which includes a carrier in or on which the damper and the hinge are arranged, wherein the module is inserted into the door or flap or into the body of the appliance as a unit. 
     Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawing, which show a floor-mounted appliance in accordance with the present invention. In the drawings: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
         FIG. 1   a  to  FIG. 1   j : show the hinge with damper in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention in a sectional representation with different opening angles, 
         FIG. 2   a  to  FIG. 2   e : show the hinge with damper in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention in a perspective view with different opening angles, 
         FIG. 3   a  to  FIG. 3   e : show the hinge with damper in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention in a top view with different opening angles, 
         FIG. 4 : shows an exploded view of the hinge with damper in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 5   a  to  FIG. 5   d : show an alternative second embodiment of the hinge with damper in accordance with the invention with different opening angles, 
         FIG. 6   a  to  FIG. 6   c : show a further third embodiment of the hinge and damper in accordance with the invention with a closed door in different perspectives, 
         FIG. 7 : shows a detailed representation of the hinge in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, 
         FIGS. 8 ,  9 : show detailed representations of the eccentric with compression spring unit in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 10 : shows a perspective view of the damper accommodated in the carrier with possibilities for varying the damping characteristic in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, and 
         FIGS. 11 ,  12 : show further detailed representations of the hinge in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a sectional representation of the body  20  of a refrigerator and the door  10  by means of which the appliance interior can be closed. Reference numeral  200  designates an oil/gas damper, which consists of a cylinder  202  in which a non-illustrated piston is moving. The piston is connected with a piston rod  204 , whose end can be seen in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIGS. 1   a,    1   b  show the arrangement with closed door,  FIGS. 1   c,    1   d  with an opening angle of 30°,  FIGS. 1   e,  if with an opening angle of 90°,  FIGS. 1   g,    1   h  with an opening angle of 130°, and  FIGS. 1   i,    1   j  with an opening angle of 165°. 
     Identical reference numerals in the Figures designate identical components or components having the same function, wherein not all reference numerals are indicated in all Figures for reasons of clarity. 
     The hinge connecting the body  20  with the door  10  consists of a first hinge lever  110  and a second hinge lever  120 . Both hinge levers can be swivelled relative to each other about the pivot point  111 . The first hinge lever  110  is pivotally attached to the body  20  of the appliance about the axis  21 , and the second hinge lever  120  is pivotally attached to the carrier  300  about the axis  11 , which carrier is secured by screws and positively accommodated in the door  10  of the appliance. 
     The eccentric  100  is pivotally attached to the hinge lever  120  about the axis  102 . The eccentric is connected with the first hinge lever  110  via a tension lever  130 . The tension lever  130  is pivotally connected with the first hinge lever  110  and with the eccentric. 
     With the second hinge lever  120  the compression spring pack is connected, which consists of a housing  141  (see  FIG. 1   b ), in which two compression springs  140  are arranged. In the housing  141 , the carriage  142  is movably accommodated, in whose terminal region directed towards the eccentric  100  at least one roller  150  is arranged, which runs on the eccentric surface of the eccentric  100 . The compression springs exert a force on the carriage  142 , which leads to the roller  150  being pressed onto the surface of the eccentric. The pivotal attachment of the compressive springs thus is located not on the damper  200 , but on the carrier  300 . 
     On the second hinge lever  120 , the damper lever  155  is arranged, which in its one terminal region is pivotally connected with the second hinge lever  120  at the pivot point  102 , and which in its second terminal region is provided with two rollers  160 , which run on a guideway of the carrier  300 . 
       FIG. 1   b  shows an enlarged representation of the hinge arrangement of  FIG. 1   a.    
     As can be taken from  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b,  the components of the hinge, the damper  200  and the damper lever  155  are substantially integrated in the door, when the door is closed. As can furthermore be taken from  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   i,  the damper  200  of this embodiment always is located in the plane of the door independent of the opening angle of the door  10 . 
       FIGS. 1   c,    1   d  show the arrangement with a door opening angle of about 30°. This again clearly shows that the tension lever  130  on the one hand is pivotally attached to the eccentric  100  and on the other hand to the first hinge lever  110 . Furthermore, it can be seen that the position of the roller  150  relative to the surface of the eccentric  100  changes when the door is opened, as can be taken more clearly from the Figures explained below. 
       FIG. 1   c  furthermore shows that when the door is opened, the piston rod  204  is withdrawn further from the cylinder  202  of the damper  200  with increasing opening angle. Correspondingly, the reverse process takes place, i.e. the piston rod  204  is pushed into the cylinder  202 , and hence the damping effect is obtained when the door is closed. 
       FIG. 1   d  shows the arrangement of  FIG. 1   c  in an enlarged representation. 
       FIG. 1   e,  if show the arrangement with a door opening angle of 90°. In this position of the door, the roller  150  is located in a middle region of the surface of the eccentric  100 . The contouring of the surface of the eccentric  100  is made such that in the embodiment shown here the compression springs  140  do not exert any torque producing a closing force on the eccentric  100  from an opening angle of about 55°. This means that the door stops in the position into which it has been moved by the user of the appliance. 
       FIGS. 1   g  and  1   h  show the door with an opening angle of about 130°, and  FIGS. 1   i  and  1   j  show the door with a door opening angle of about 165°. 
     The arrangement shown in  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   j  provides for realizing a door closing behavior, with which in an initial angular range, for instance with opening angles &lt;55°, door closing and, in larger angular ranges, door stopping is effected. 
     The carrier  300  with the components arranged thereon can easily be removed and, for instance when changing the door stop, can again be inserted at some other point, without the necessity of having to individually dismount and then again mount the components of the hinge or damper. 
     The carrier  300  or the module  500  can be mounted for instance at the bottom or at the top of the refrigerator or also on a cross-beam arranged at a middle level. Preferably, the carrier or the module is arranged such that no weakening of the insulation is obtained. This can be achieved for instance in that the damper  200  and with the same also the carrier  300  is inserted in transverse direction, i.e. in the plane of the door  10  or in the plane formed by the body front. Further, as shown in  FIG. 1   i , module  500  may be arranged outside a cooled region of the appliance. 
     Preferably the carrier  300  and the damper  200  is horizontally integrated in the door  10  or in the body  20  of the appliance. 
     Due to the flexibility, the arrangement of the invention can also be used advantageously in double-door appliances. 
     Another advantage of the present invention consists in that the damper can be arranged such that it is guided, so that even shocks can easily be absorbed. 
     Preferably, the hinge is configured such that only hinge elements exist which are subjected to tension or to compression, i.e. no torques occur in the articulated arms of the hinge. 
       FIGS. 2   a  to  2   e  show perspective representations of the arrangement of the invention with opening angles of 0°, 30°, 90°, 130° and 165°. It can be taken from this representation that the damper is arranged in a carrier  300 , which as such is inserted into the door  10  or also into the body  20  of the appliance. 
     In the carrier, a groove  302  is disposed, in which sliding elements  170  are running, which can be taken from  FIGS. 2   a  to  2   e . Like the rollers  160 , the sliding elements  170  also are arranged in the terminal region of the damper lever  155  and are running in the groove  302  of the carrier  300 , when the door is opened and closed. 
       FIGS. 3   a  to  3   e  show the arrangement of the invention in a top view with opening angles of 0°, 30°, 90°, 130° and 165° and again illustrate the arrangement of the sliding element  170  in the groove  302  of the carrier  300 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the parts of the arrangement of the invention in an exploded view. 
     The carrier can for instance be a plastic-coated metal part, which is latched in a corresponding recess of the door or of the body and is fixed by screws, if necessary. In principle, an exclusively positive insertion is recommendable, since in this way the carrier  300  can be inserted particularly easily and can be replaced or mounted elsewhere, if necessary. 
     By using a carrier  300 , an optimum of rigidity and functions can be achieved. In particular, the occurring forces of the damper can be absorbed by the carrier  300 . In addition, a design optimized in terms of assembly and a selection of materials meeting functional requirements can be performed for the sliding guideway. 
     Another advantage of the damper consists in that the door can be prevented from bouncing back when it is closed at high speed. 
     If the damper is guided linearly, as this is the case in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   j,  a further advantage beside the advantage that the damper need not absorb any transverse forces consists in that almost the entire unit can be covered, which offers an increased safety and advantages in terms of design. 
     The damper  200  also preferably is latched in the carrier  300 , without further fastening means being required. 
     An essential feature of the arrangement shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4  consists in that the damper  200  and hence also the piston rod  204  always runs in the carrier  300  independent of the opening angle of the door  10 , which involves the advantage that the damper  200  is running with particularly little friction, since possibly existing transverse forces do not act on the damper or its piston rod  204 . 
     In contrast thereto,  FIGS. 5   a  to  5   d  show an arrangement, in which the piston rod  204  is not connected with the hinge via a damper lever, but directly. Otherwise, the construction of the hinge corresponds to that shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 .  FIGS. 5   a  to  5   d  show the arrangement likewise comprised by the invention with an opening angle of 0°, 90°, 130° and 165°. In the arrangement shown in  FIGS. 5   a  to  5   d  there is also provided a carrier  300 , which is accommodated in a recess of the door. To allow the damper  200  to swivel out of the carrier  300 , the damper is pivotally arranged in the carrier  300 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an arrangement in which the eccentric and the compression springs are replaced by a Bowden cable arrangement. In this case, too, the damper  200  swivels out of the door when the door is opened, but the door closing function is produced via a Bowden cable  400 , which in one terminal region is connected with one of the hinge levers  110  and with the other end with the tension springs  410 ,  420 . The Bowden cable  400  is connected with the hinge lever  110  approximately at the position in which the tie rod  130  is pivotally attached to the hinge lever  110  in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 to 4 .  FIG. 6   a  shows the arrangement with damper  200 , and  FIGS. 6   b  and  6   c  without damper. 
       FIG. 7  shows the groove  302  of the carrier  300 . It can be taken from this Figure that the sliding elements  170  are running in the groove  302 . When closing the door, the supporting effect is produced by the roller  160  in the embodiment shown here. When opening the door, however, the upper side of the groove  303  forms the abutment. Alternatively, it is conceivable to omit the rollers and to effect abutment not only when opening the door, but also during the closing operation via the sliding elements  170  or via the groove  302 . Reference numeral  304  designates the abutment of the groove  302  getting into engagement via pure sliding friction. 
       FIG. 8  shows an enlarged representation of the eccentric  100  and the compression spring arrangement, by means of which a compressive force is exerted on the surface of the eccentric  100  via the rollers  150 . By possible replacement of the two compression springs by other springs with different characteristics, the spring force and hence also the door closing force can be varied. Another possibility of influencing the door closing force consists in that the pivot point of the housing  141  illustrated here, which accommodates the springs  140 , is effected by means of an eccentric bolt  190 , which leads to the fact that the spring force and furthermore also the spring characteristic thus can be varied. Reference numeral  148  designates the spring characteristic without adjustment, and reference numeral  149  designates the spring characteristic upon adjustment of the pivot point of the housing  141 . 
     A change in the door closing characteristic also can be effected in that the eccentric path, i.e. the surface of the eccentric  100 , is influenced in conjunction with a likewise changed cam path, as can be taken from  FIG. 9 . In this Figure, reference numeral  100 ′ designates the eccentric path, and reference numeral  150 ′ designates the cam path. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates that by shifting the cylinder  202  of the damper  200  relative to the piston rod  204  and thus also relative to the piston, a substantial change of the damping behavior can be effected. There is effected a change in position of the overflow passages  203  relative to the piston connected with the piston rod. As can be taken from  FIG. 10 , this relative movement can be effected either via a continuous adjustability of the cylinder  202 , i.e. of the pivotal attachment of the damper, as is indicated by the double arrow shown on the left, or on the part of the piston rod via a change in the relative position of the pivotal attachment of the piston rod, as is indicated by the double arrow shown on the right. 
     A change in the damping characteristic can of course also be realized by replacing the damper  200 . 
       FIG. 11  finally illustrates that the limitation of the damper stroke is effected by the sliding piece(s)  170  abutting against the groove end  302 ′. By inserting one or more spacers  306  into the groove  302  of the carrier  300 , the free groove length can be varied in a simple way. In this way, it is possible to produce a desired limited intermediate door opening position. It is also conceivable to continuously produce this limitation of the sliding carrier path via corresponding mechanisms, such as a tension cable. 
     Another aspect of the invention is indicated in  FIG. 12 . Here, a damper lever  155  is shown, which, as explained above, connects the roller  160  or the sliding piece  170  with the hinge lever  120 . This damping characteristic is based on the fact that the damper  200  never gets out of engagement over the complete door opening angle. This provides the advantage that unpleasant shock phenomena, which are desirable neither for the user nor for the material, definitely are avoided. However, it is also conceivable to couple the damper lever  155  in and out of the sliding carrier  170  in a defined range of door opening angles. In this way, shortening of the required damper path can be achieved. To avoid possible shocks, this uncoupled condition should lie in an opening range which anyway takes place with only little damping.