DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION DEVICE HAVING A CONTROL ELEMENT DESIGNED WITH AN INTEGRATED DISPLAY UNIT FOR ACTUATING A COVER OF A FOOD STORAGE CONTAINER
20170254587 · 2017-09-07
Inventors
- Christoph Becke (Grosskarolinenfeld, DE)
- MAX EICHER (MUENCHEN, DE)
- JUERGEN FINK (GERSTETTEN, DE)
- CHRISTINE HARTWEIN (NANDLSTADT, DE)
- Denis Lux (Heidenheim, DE)
- Thomas Tischer (Haar, DE)
- MARCUS WEHLAUCH (NATTHEIM, DE)
Cpc classification
F25D2400/36
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D2317/04131
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D25/025
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D29/005
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
Abstract
A domestic refrigeration device has an internal space for receiving foodstuffs, which is bounded by walls of an internal container, and a storage container for foodstuffs that is arranged in the internal space and can be closed with a lid. The refrigerator further has a mounting device with which the lid is mounted in the internal space such that it can be raised and lowered for opening and closing the food storage container. A control element is provided by which the lid can be actuated, wherein the control element for actuating the lid can be actuated along an actuation path and the lid can be positioned, in dependence on a position of the control element, in a first closed position and at least in a second fully open position. The control element itself has a display unit for displaying symbolic information depending on the position of the lid.
Claims
1-17. (canceled)
18. A domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising: an internal container having walls defining an internal compartment for holding food and said internal compartment being bounded by said walls; a lid; a food storage container for the food, being disposed in said internal compartment and can be closed by said lid; a mounting device mounting said lid in said internal compartment such that said lid can be raised and lowered to open and close said food storage container; and an operating element for actuating said lid, wherein it is possible for said operating element to be actuated on an actuation path to actuate said lid and for said lid to be positioned in a first closed position and at least in a second completely open position in dependence on a position of said operating element, said operating element having a display unit to display symbolic information in dependence on a position of said lid.
19. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 18, wherein said display unit is a non-electronic display unit.
20. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 18, wherein said display unit has an information disk with information elements configured in a fixed position and permanently thereon.
21. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 20, wherein the information element is configured as a printing.
22. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 20, further comprising an operating element support, said information disk is disposed in said operating element and is fastened in a fixed position on said operating element support, on which said operating element is disposed such that said operating element can be moved relative to said operating element support.
23. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 22, wherein said information disk is disposed in a latched manner on said operating element support.
24. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to the claim 22, wherein said display unit has a cover plate disposed in said operating element and covering said information disk from above.
25. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 24, wherein said cover plate is disposed on said operating element in a fixed position in such a manner that said cover plate can be moved relative to said information disk, namely by means of a non-destructively releasable connection.
26. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 24, wherein said cover plate has at least one viewing window, through which the information element configured on an upper face of said information disk facing said cover plate can be identified in dependence on the position of said operating element and therefore a position of said cover plate relative to said information disk.
27. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 26, wherein said cover plate is configured from an at least translucent material and has a lower face facing said information disk, apart from said viewing window, being formed from an opaque material.
28. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 24, wherein said operating element has a mushroom-shaped display unit support for said display unit, wherein said mushroom-shaped display unit support is disposed on said operating element support so that said mushroom-shaped display unit support can be moved relative thereto, wherein said information disk and said cover plate of said display unit are disposed in a mushroom-shaped head of said mushroom-shaped display unit support.
29. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 28, wherein said operating element has a terminating ring, said terminating ring is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to said mushroom-shaped display unit support and which encloses said mushroom-shaped head and said cover plate peripherally.
30. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 29, wherein said terminating ring has a cone-shaped upper face.
31. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 28, wherein: said operating element support has an opening formed therein; said operating element has a coupling device; and said mushroom-shaped display unit support has a stem that extends through said opening in said operating element support and is connected to said coupling device to move said lid.
32. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 22, wherein said operating element support has a surface region which is oriented obliquely upward, on which information about a moisture content in said food storage container in dependence on the position of said lid is displayed in a fixed position and information elements relating to food to be preferably stored in said food storage container with a respective lid position are configured on said display unit of said operating element.
33. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 22, wherein: said operating element having an operating element socket; and said operating element has a terminating ring and said information disk is connected to said terminating ring in a rotationally fixed manner and accommodated in said operating element socket configured as a display unit support and disposed in a fixed position in said operating element support.
34. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 20, further comprising an operating element support; wherein said operating element having an operating element socket; and wherein said display unit has a cover plate covering said information disk and said cover plate is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to said operating element socket configured as a display unit support and disposed in a fixed position in said operating element support.
Description
[0032] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings, in which:
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[0053] Identical elements or those of identical function are shown with identical reference characters in the figures.
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[0055] The freezer compartment 5 generally serves to deep-freeze frozen goods, at −18° C. for example. The freezer compartment 5 is accessible when the freezer compartment door 7 is open.
[0056] Mounted in a removable manner in the chiller compartment 4 is a chilled goods or food storage container 8, which can be closed by means of a lid 9 mounted above the food storage compartment 8. An additional cover 10, for example in the form of a glass compartment base, can be arranged above the lid 9, as shown.
[0057] The internal container 3 has two opposing vertical side walls 3a and 3b.
[0058] Provision is preferably made for a separating wall 11 to be arranged between the lid 9 and the cover 10. This separates the food storage container 8 from the remaining sub-volume of the internal compartment or chiller compartment 4.
[0059] The lid 9 is mounted in the chiller compartment 4 by means of a mounting device 12 in such a manner that it can be raised and lowered to open and close the food storage container 8. In particular the mounting device 12 comprises an operating element 13, which can be used to actuate the lid 9. To actuate the lid 9, the operating element 13 can be rotated about an axis on an actuation path and can be latched at least in one rotation position along the actuation path.
[0060] The operating element 13 is arranged on the separating wall 11.
[0061] The separating wall 11, which is arranged above the lid 9 in the vertical direction and therefore in the y direction, is configured in such a manner in the illustrated exemplary embodiment that it also serves as a support plate for the lid 9. In this exemplary embodiment the lid 9 is therefore mounted solely on said separating wall 11 and can be displaced relative to said separating wall 11 in order then to be raised or lowered in relation to a tray or drawer 15 of the food storage container 8, in order to be able to set the opened or closed state of the food storage container 8.
[0062] The food storage container 8 comprises the lid 9 and the drawer 15.
[0063] The horizontal separating plate or the separating wall 11, as shown in
[0064] The base part 14 comprises a front edge 17 and a surface region 18, which is offset to the rear in the depthwise direction (z direction) in relation to the front edge 17 and oriented obliquely upward and to the rear. This forms an oblique step. This angled surface region 18 is configured practically in the manner of a strip and extends in particular over the entire width of the base part 14 and is configured on an upper face 19 facing away from the lid 9. The facing 20 is arranged in an embedded manner in said base part 14 so that an upper face 21 of the facing 20 is arranged flush with an upper face 22, which represents a sub-region of the upper face 19. The facing 20 is therefore arranged flush in the base part 14 in the region of the platform 16, which is offset downward in the vertical direction at the front.
[0065] A front face 23 of the facing 20 forms a piece of the front edge 17.
[0066] A display region 24 is also configured on the base part 14 in the surface region 18, in particular in the facing 20, allowing a symbolic or approximate representation of a display of a moisture content in the food storage container 8 to be displayed. To this end in this exemplary embodiment elements are configured on the region of the facing 20 which is oriented obliquely upward and to the rear through the surface region 18. In the exemplary embodiment three different elements or objects 25, 26 and 27 are shown, which are associated with three different specific positions of the lid 9 relative to the drawer 15. These also symbolically characterize moisture contents in the food storage container 8 specifying respective lid positions and associated therewith. The objects 25 to 27 can be printed on.
[0067] Also shown is the operating element 13, which is positioned between the front edge 17 and the surface region 18 when viewed in the depthwise direction and is therefore accessible from above. Actuation of the operating element 13 causes the lid 9 to be moved by way of an in particular solely mechanical interaction and coupling. The lid 9 can also be mounted on the mounting device 12, which is configured solely on the walls 3a and 3b. Its position can be changed for this purpose in a raising and pushing movement. To this end corresponding mounting elements of the mounting device 12 can be arranged so that they are oriented obliquely to the rear and upward on the walls 3a and 3b.
[0068] When the lid 9 is moved relative to the drawer 15, the moisture content in the food storage container 8 also changes. An observer can then identify the information about the symbolically displayed moisture content intuitively and in an immediately comprehensible manner.
[0069] In one configuration a specific position of the lid 9 is associated with a rotation position of the operating element 13 about the axis A, which extends in the vertical direction and therefore in the y direction.
[0070] As also shown in
[0071] Provision can also be made, irrespective of the embodiment described above in
[0072] The information elements of the display unit 28 can comprise symbols and/or letters. They can symbolize the moisture content in the food storage container 8, particularly when the objects 25 to 27 are not present. However they can also or instead symbolize foods which can be preferably and most appropriately stored in the food storage container 8 in the respective states associated with the different positions of the lid 9.
[0073] In particular when the objects 25 to 27 are present and symbolize the moisture content, information elements on the display unit 28 can preferably be information elements which represent food that can preferably be stored in the food storage container 8 and therefore also in the drawer 15 with the lid 9 in the respective position.
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[0076] This arc-shaped cutouts 36 and 37 are also guide slots, through which components of the display unit 28 extend, thereby allowing relative movement between an element of the display unit 28 and the operating element 13.
[0077] In the exemplary embodiment the display unit 28 comprises an information disk 38 which has a number of information elements (not shown in detail) on an upper face 39. Preferably as many information elements as there are possible positions of the lid 9 are applied, in particular printed, in a fixed position and non-modifiably on the upper face 39.
[0078] The display unit 28 also comprises a cover plate 40, which can preferably be made of an at least translucent material, for example glass or plastic. The cover plate 40 is provided, in particular printed, with an opaque material on a lower face 41 facing the information disk 38, with at least one viewing window 42 being cut out, through which it is then always possible to see.
[0079] The operating element 13 also comprises a separate terminating ring 43, which is connected to the display unit support 30 in a rotationally fixed manner in the assembled state and completely encloses both the information disk 38 and the cover plate 40 in a peripheral manner about the axis A. A ring upper face 44 of the terminating ring 43 can extend horizontally in a plane or be configured as flat but be configured at an angle to the axis A.
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[0081] The coupling element 45 comprises a chimney-like shaft 46, which is connected to the stem 31, in particular by a non-destructively releasable connection, in particular by a latching connection, when connected to the operating element 13. To this end a latching cutout 47 is formed in the stem 31, in which a latching element 48 engages in the connected state.
[0082] The coupling element 45 also comprises a slotted disk 49, in which a guide slot 50 is configured. An eccentric pin 51 is also arranged on a lower face of the slotted disk 49.
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[0084] Provision is also preferably made for a gap al to be different from a gap a2, thereby establishing a certain assembly coding.
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[0087] As shown in
[0088] These are configured for coupling with the web 58 and also the cutouts 56 and 57, to generate a rotationally fixed coupling between the cover plate 40 and the display unit support 30. This is shown in the enlargement in
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[0090] The terminating ring 43 is positioned on the mushroom-shaped head 32 from above to move it into the assembled end position. Depressions 64 are configured on an inner face 65 of the terminating ring 43 for precise centering in the peripheral direction about the axis A. Corresponding engagement elements 67, which project radially outward, are also configured on an outer face 66 of the web 35.
[0091] As shown in an enlargement in
[0092] As well as the abovementioned centering between the terminating ring 43 and the display unit support 30 about the peripheral axis A, there is also axial position fixing between said components. To this end at least one latching receiver 68, preferably a number of such latching receivers 68, is/are in turn configured on the inner wall or inner face 65. In the same way a number of latching elements 69 are preferably configured on the outer face 66 of the web 35.
[0093] As shown in the assembled end state between the terminating ring 43 and the display unit support 30 in
[0094] As also shown in
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[0099] The eccentric element 51 is also visible here. According to the perspective sectional view in
[0100] The intermediate position is reached in
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[0102] The information disk 38 can for example be mounted with the terminating ring 43 by way of a catch 79, in particular a radial catch, in the operating element socket 77, allowing it to be rotated relative thereto in the peripheral direction about the axis A.
[0103] In the assembled state an upper face of a peripheral web 80 of the operating element socket 77 is preferably arranged flush with the face 22. The terminating ring 43 preferably rests on the web 80.
LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS
[0104] 1 Domestic refrigeration appliance [0105] 2 Carcass [0106] 3 Internal container [0107] 3a Vertical side wall [0108] 3b Vertical side wall [0109] 4 Chiller compartment [0110] 5 Freezer compartment [0111] 6 Door [0112] 7 Freezer compartment door [0113] 8 Food storage container [0114] 9 Lid [0115] 10 Cover [0116] 11 Separating wall [0117] 11a Operating element support [0118] 12 Mounting device [0119] 13 Operating element [0120] 14 Base part [0121] 15 Drawer [0122] 16 Platform [0123] 17 Front edge [0124] 18 Surface region [0125] 19 Upper face [0126] 20 Facing [0127] 21 Upper face [0128] 22 Upper face [0129] 23 Front face [0130] 24 Display region [0131] 25 Object [0132] 26 Object [0133] 27 Object [0134] 28 Display unit [0135] 29 Hole [0136] 30 Display unit support [0137] 31 Stem [0138] 32 Mushroom-shaped head [0139] 33 Depression [0140] 34 Base [0141] 35 Web [0142] 36 Cutout [0143] 37 Cutout [0144] 38 Information disk [0145] 39 Upper face [0146] 40 Cover plate [0147] 41 Lower face [0148] 42 Viewing window [0149] 43 Terminating ring [0150] 44 Ring upper face [0151] 45 Coupling element [0152] 46 Shaft [0153] 47 Latching cutout [0154] 48 Latching element [0155] 49 Slotted disk [0156] 50 Guide slot [0157] 51 Eccentric pin [0158] 52 Latching element [0159] 53 Latching element [0160] 54 Lip [0161] 55 Recess [0162] 56 Cutout [0163] 57 Cutout [0164] 58 Peripheral web [0165] 59 Upper edge [0166] 60 Elevation [0167] 61 Elevation [0168] 62 Upper face [0169] 63 Stops [0170] 64 Depressions [0171] 65 Inner face [0172] 66 Outer face [0173] 67 Engagement elements [0174] 68 Latching receiver [0175] 69 Latching elements [0176] 70 Radial flange [0177] 71 Guide block [0178] 72 Notch [0179] 73 Notch [0180] 74 Notch [0181] 75 Engagement region [0182] 76 Pin [0183] 77 Operating element socket [0184] 78 Opening [0185] 79 Catch [0186] 80 Peripheral webs [0187] D Distance [0188] A Axis [0189] a1 Gap [0190] a2 Gap