Patent ID: 7726754

Claim:
A refrigerator comprising: a.) a first housing part and a second housing part movably connected to one another, the housing parts together delimiting a heat-insulated interior space; b.) a seal member fastened to the first housing part and operable to establish a substantially airtight seal between the first housing part and the second housing part when the two housing parts are in a closed disposition, the seal member lying on a contact surface of the second housing part when the two housing parts are in a closed disposition; and c.) a lifting element, the lifting element being formed at least partly from a temperature-dependent deformable material and the lifting element being transformable under a selected one of a thermal influence and a cold influence between a first shape in which it permits a substantially airtight seal contact between the seal member on the first housing part and the second housing part and a second shape in which the lifting element, in a closed disposition of the housing parts, maintains a portion of the seal member out of contact with the contact surface of the second housing part to thereby allow an equalization of pressure between the heat-insulated interior space and the surroundings of the refrigerator, wherein the lifting element is configured as a panel, wherein the panel is flush with the contact surface of the second housing part when the lifting element has the first shape, and wherein the panel has a curved form pressing against the seal member when the lifting element has the second shape.