INNER CONTAINER WITH A CUT-OUT HOLE HAVING A POCKET, DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE, AND METHOD FOR INSTALLING AN ATTACHMENT ON AN INNER CONTAINER

Abstract

An inner container for a domestic refrigeration appliance includes walls that delimit at least portions of a receiving area for food. One of the walls has a cut-out hole on which a separate attachment can be installed in order to at least partly cover the cut-out hole. One end of the cut-out hole adjoins an elevated hole pocket which is formed in the wall and which has a diagonal pocket wall that forms a guide ramp for the attachment when the attachment is installed on the wall. A domestic refrigeration appliance and a method are also provided.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An inner container for a household refrigeration appliance, the inner container comprising: walls delimiting at least portions of a receiving area for food; said walls including a wall having a cut-out hole formed therein, said cut-out hole having an end; a separate attachment configured to be installed at said cut-out hole to at least partly cover said cut-out hole; and said wall having an elevated hole pocket formed therein adjoining said end of said cut-out hole, said hole pocket having a diagonal pocket wall, and said diagonal pocket wall forming a guide ramp for said attachment upon installing said attachment on said wall.

17. The inner container according to claim 16, wherein said cut-out hole has a clear width, and at least one of said hole pocket or said diagonal pocket wall extends over said clear width of said cut-out hole.

18. The inner container according to claim 16, wherein said cut-out hole is delimited by an edge contour, said edge contour has a first edge contour portion extending in a plane from which said hole pocket extends, said diagonal pocket wall leads with an end edge onto said wall and said end edge runs in said plane.

19. The inner container according to claim 18, wherein said edge contour is closed over a periphery, and said first edge contour portion extends entirely in said plane from which said hole pocket extends.

20. The inner container according to claim 18, which further comprises a transition from said end edge into said wall being configured without edges.

21. The inner container according to claim 16, wherein said hole pocket has a free edge contour portion forming a stop for said attachment.

22. The inner container according to claim 16, wherein said wall has a base with a top wall, and said cut-out hole is formed in said top wall of said base.

23. The inner container according to claim 22, wherein said base is formed in one piece with said wall.

24. The inner container according to claim 22, wherein said top wall has a total surface, and said cut-out hole has a cut-out portion with a total surface corresponding to less than 100% of said total surface of said top wall, as seen in a perpendicular projected view onto said top wall.

25. The inner container according to claim 24, wherein said total surface of said cut-out portion corresponds to at least 70% of said total surface of said top wall, as seen in said perpendicular projected view onto said top wall.

26. The inner container according to claim 24, wherein said total surface of said cut-out portion corresponds to at least 80% of said total surface of said top wall, as seen in said perpendicular projected view onto said top wall.

27. A household refrigeration appliance, comprising: a housing including an outer housing and an inner container according to claim 16; said inner container being disposed in said outer housing and defining an intermediate space between said inner container and said outer housing; and a thermally insulating material filling at least some regions of said intermediate space; said attachment being installed on said inner container, being at least partly disposed in said intermediate space and at least partly covering said cut-out hole in said wall of said inner container.

28. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 27, wherein: said inner container has an outer face facing said intermediate space; said attachment has a sealing element bearing against said outer face of said inner container; said attachment at least partly covers said hole pocket toward said intermediate space; and said sealing element outside said hole pocket bears against said outer face of said inner container.

29. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 28, wherein said sealing element has a diagonally inclined outer end region.

30. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 27, wherein said attachment is formed in one piece.

31. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 30, wherein said attachment is a plastic injection-molded component.

32. A method for installing an attachment on a wall of an inner container for a household refrigeration appliance, the method comprising: pushing the attachment in an installation direction oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to a hole axis of a cut-out hole formed in the wall, against an outer face of the inner container and over the cut-out hole; delimiting the cut-out hole at one end, as viewed in the installation direction, by an elevated hole pocket facing away from the outer face of the inner container; providing the hole pocket with a diagonal pocket wall forming a guide ramp for the attachment upon installing the attachment on the wall or on the cut-out hole; bringing the attachment into contact with the diagonal pocket wall with the displacement of the attachment in the installation direction; and sliding the attachment along the pocket wall with a further displacement of the attachment in the installation direction and guiding the attachment over a transition between the pocket wall and the wall until the attachment bears against the outer face in an installed end position.

33. The method according to claim 32, which further comprises pushing the attachment sufficiently far over the cut-out hole until a projection of the attachment bears against a free edge contour portion of the hole pocket.

34. The method according to claim 33, which further comprises delimiting the cut-out hole by an edge contour having a remaining edge contour portion, the projection extending outside a plane in which the remaining edge contour portion extends without the hole pocket.

35. The method according to claim 32, which further comprises: providing an intermediate installation position from which the installation of the attachment is carried out by displacement in the installation direction; positioning the attachment in the intermediate installation position such that, when viewed in the installation direction, a portion of the attachment facing the hole pocket and being located closest to the hole pocket is disposed with an outer end region overlapping with the pocket wall in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the cut-out hole or is positioned on the pocket wall.

36. The method according to claim 32, which further comprises positioning the attachment, in a preliminary installation step, onto the wall in a direction perpendicular to the installation direction, and extending the attachment into the cut-out hole to reach an intermediate installation position starting from which a further installation is carried out by the displacement in the installation direction.

Description

[0039] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail hereinafter with reference to schematic drawings, in which:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a household refrigeration appliance according to the invention;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an inner container according to the invention;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged partial view of the partial section of FIG. 2 in which a partial region of a cut-out hole is shown with an integrally formed hole pocket;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a partial view of the inner container according to FIG. 2 with a separate attachment installed therein in an end position;

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view through the embodiment in FIG. 4;

[0045] FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of a partial section of FIG. 5;

[0046] FIG. 7 shows a sectional view through an attachment and a wall with the cut-out hole of the inner container in an intermediate installed position;

[0047] FIG. 8 shows the view according to FIG. 7 in a further installation step following FIG. 7;

[0048] FIG. 9 shows the view according to FIGS. 7 and 8 in a further installation step following FIGS. 7 and 8; and

[0049] FIG. 10 shows a sectional view according to FIG. 7 of an installation scenario in which an attachment is installed on an inner container according to the prior art.

[0050] Elements which are the same or functionally the same are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0051] A household refrigeration appliance 1 is shown in a schematic view in FIG. 1. The household refrigeration appliance 1 is configured for storing and preserving food. The household refrigeration appliance 1 may be a refrigerator or a freezer or a combined fridge-freezer. The household refrigeration appliance 1 has a housing 2. The housing 2 has an outer housing 3 and at least one inner container 4 which is separate therefrom. The inner container 4 delimits a receiving area 5 with walls. The walls may have two opposing vertical side walls 6 and 7, a bottom wall 8, a rear wall 9 and a top wall 10. The inner container 4, in particular, is made of plastic material. The outer housing 3, in particular, is made of metal. The inner container 4, in particular, is configured in one piece.

[0052] It may also be provided that the household refrigeration appliance 1 has a further inner container 4′ which delimits a further receiving area 5′.

[0053] A thermally insulating material is introduced into an intermediate space 11 between the outer housing 3 and the inner container 4. In particular, this intermediate space 11 is filled at least in some regions with an insulating foam 12.

[0054] In FIG. 2 an exemplary embodiment of the inner container 4 is shown in a perspective view. A cut-out hole 13 is formed in at least one wall, here by way of example in the rear wall 9. The cut-out hole 13 is formed here as an elongated continuous aperture in the rear wall 9. In particular, the cut-out hole 13 is formed to be substantially rectangular. The longitudinal axis A of the cut-out hole 13 is oriented here in the breadth direction (x-direction). A hole axis B of the cut-out hole 13 is oriented perpendicular to this longitudinal axis A and thus is also oriented perpendicular to the plane of the rear wall 9. The hole axis B is oriented perpendicular to the cut-out portion which forms the cut-out hole 13 or is oriented perpendicular to a surface of the wall enclosing the cut-out hole 13.

[0055] The cut-out hole 13 is delimited or enclosed fully over the periphery. To this end, an edge contour 14 is provided. The edge contour 14 has a first edge contour portion 15. This first edge contour portion 15 extends in particular in one plane, when viewed over its length. The first edge contour portion 15 in this case has three substantially straight edge contour portions. This plane corresponds, in particular, to the plane in which the rear wall 9 extends or which corresponds to a main extension plane of the rear wall. In particular, this plane in which this first edge contour portion 15 extends is spanned by the vertical direction (y-direction) and the breadth direction (x-direction).

[0056] At one end 16 the cut-out hole 13 adjoins an elevated pocket hole 17. This means that this pocket hole 17 protrudes from the plane in which the first edge contour portion 15 extends. In particular, this elevated pocket hole 17 is configured to be elevated facing the receiving space 5. In particular, this elevated pocket hole 17 has the shape of a spoiler. As may be identified, this elevated pocket hole 17 extends along a breadth of the cut-out hole 13, viewed here in the vertical direction. The breadth corresponds to the clear width W (FIG. 3). In particular, this elevated pocket hole 17 extends without interruption along the entire breadth, i.e. narrow side, of the cut-out hole 13.

[0057] The section I in FIG. 2 is shown enlarged in FIG. 3. It may be identified that this hole pocket 17 has a diagonal pocket wall 18. The diagonal pocket wall 18 extends toward the receiving area 5. This diagonal pocket wall 18 has an exposed edge contour 19 which forms the second edge contour portion 20 of the entire edge contour 14 of the cut-out hole 13. The diagonal pocket wall 18 also has an end edge 21 which opposes this second edge contour portion 20. This end edge 21 is located, in particular, in the plane in which the first edge contour portion 15 extends over its entire length.

[0058] In FIG. 4 a partial section of the rear wall 9 is shown. The view in FIG. 4 is such that the view is of an outer face 9a of the rear wall 9 which faces the intermediate space 11. As may be identified, a separate attachment 22 is shown in an end position on the rear wall 9. The attachment 22 fully covers the cut-out hole 13 toward the intermediate space 11. In particular, this attachment 22 is arranged on the outer face 9a.

[0059] In FIG. 5 a sectional view is shown of the components according to FIG. 4 along the cutting line V-V. It may be identified that the attachment 22 bears against the outer face 9a with a resilient portion, here a resilient sealing element 23. The sealing element 23, in particular, is a freely protruding sealing lip. In particular, a pretensioned bearing is provided here. This resilient sealing element 23 is configured entirely over the periphery and also without interruption.

[0060] In the sectional view in FIG. 5 the diagonal pocket wall 18 which is joined to the end 16 of the cut-out hole 13 or adjoins this end 16 may also be identified. The corresponding pocket hole 17 is configured only at this end 16. No hole pocket is provided on an opposing front end 24 of the cut-out hole 13 in the direction of the longitudinal axis A.

[0061] As may be identified in FIG. 6 in the enlarged view of the section II of FIG. 5, the cut-out hole 13 is located with the first edge contour portion 15 in a plane E. Accordingly, the hole pocket 17 is formed protruding in an elevated manner to the front from the plane E in the depth direction (z-direction). Thus the edge contour 19 and thus the second edge contour portion 20 are also not formed in this plane E. However, the end edge 21 is in turn located in this plane E.

[0062] As may also be identified, a transition 25 between the pocket wall 18 and the outer face 9a of the rear wall 9 is configured without edges. This means that an abrupt sharp edge is not configured here. In particular, this transition 25 is configured to be rounded. As a result, a guidance is possible of the front end region 23a or the front tip of the sealing element 23 which is gentle and thus also without jamming and spreading and without folding and without bending over toward the rear, when the sealing element slides along the diagonally positioned pocket wall 18 and is guided over the transition 25, in particular adopts the end position shown in FIG. 6.

[0063] In FIG. 7 a sectional view corresponding to the cutting line V-V of the sub-components according to FIG. 6 is shown, wherein an intermediate installation position which is achieved after carrying out a preliminary installation step described below is shown here. In this intermediate installation position the (further) installation takes place by displacing the attachment 22 in the installation direction, shown by the arrow P. The installation direction P of the attachment 22 is thus parallel, or substantially parallel, to the plane E. In particular, therefore, this installation direction P is perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to the hole axis B. The attachment 22 is thus pushed along the cut-out hole 13, starting from the first end 24 of the cut-out hole 13 (the reference is to be understood relative to this installation direction P). That partial portion of the sealing element 23, which does not already slide along the outer face 9a during this displacement but is guided across the cut-out hole 13, is immersed in the cut-out hole 13 or through this cut-out hole in the direction of the receiving area, due to the pretensioning of the sealing element 23, and thus does not bear against the outer face 9a. This partial portion protrudes into the cut-out hole 13 and below the plane level of the outer face 9a. In particular, according to the view in FIG. 7 it may be identified that the sealing element 23 is diagonally positioned on its outer end region 23a. This diagonal position is oriented outwardly (in the plane E and relative to the cut-out hole) or to the side and downwardly or toward the cut-out hole 13, wherein here reference is made to the view in FIG. 7. Accordingly, the diagonal pocket wall 18 is arranged so as to be inclined in the opposing direction. As a result, as may be identified in FIG. 7, when displacing the attachment 22 in the installation direction P this diagonally positioned outer end region 23a may come into gentle contact with the opposing diagonally oriented pocket wall 18 and with further displacement in the installation direction P this end region 23a of the sealing element 23 slides along this diagonal pocket wall 18 gently and substantially without having to be folded back or bent back to the rear. In particular, the position shown in FIG. 7 of the attachment 22 is an intermediate installation position. This is preferably achieved by the attachment 22 being initially positioned or inserted in a preliminary installation step from the outside (i.e. onto the outer face 9a) in the direction of the hole axis B into the cut-out hole and as a result is positioned according to FIG. 7. By way of example, in this intermediate installation position in which, in particular, still no displacement takes place in the installation direction P, the end region 23a is already positioned on the pocket wall 8. This means that the extent of the diagonal pocket wall 18 in the direction of the longitudinal axis A is dimensioned such that the end region 23a overlaps therewith. Preferably, therefore, before the start of the displacement of the outer part 22 in the installation direction P the end region 23a is already arranged in the direction of the longitudinal axis A so as to overlap with the diagonal pocket wall 18. In particular, it may also be provided at the same time that the end region 23a already directly bears against the pocket wall 18.

[0064] In FIG. 8 a further installation state is shown in which this front end region 23a reaches the transition 25. Due to the design of the transition 25 without edges, this outer end region 23a slides gently across said transition. At this point, therefore, the situation is also avoided that the sealing element 23 is undesirably folded or bent back. Moreover, the front edge of this end region 23a is not undesirably affected, in particular not frayed or torn or the like.

[0065] Thus an installation state following FIG. 8 is shown in FIG. 9, which in this case shows the end position of the attachment 22. A pretensioned support or bearing of the sealing element 23 on the outer face 9a is entirely formed outside the cut-out hole 13. In this position a coupling projection 26 of the attachment 22, which protrudes into the cut-out hole 13, bears against the edge contour 19 and thus against the second edge contour portion 20. Therefore a stop for the attachment 22 is also formed by the hole pocket 18.

[0066] As may be identified in FIG. 2 to FIG. 9, in this exemplary embodiment it is provided that a base 27 or raised area configured in one piece therewith is configured on the rear wall 9. The cut-out hole 13 is formed in this base 27. As a result, the sealing element 23 in the end position of the attachment 22 bears against the rear wall 9 on an outer wall portion of the outer face 9a which is elevated relative thereto. This elevated outer wall portion is a top wall 28 of the base 27. The top wall 28 is delimited by a top wall edge 28a. The top wall 28 is arranged with its surface in one plane. The cut-out hole 13, with a projected view perpendicular to the top wall 28, is configured entirely within the top wall 28. The cut-out portion of the cut-out hole 13 is in this regard at least 70% of the surface of the top wall 28 without the cut-out hole 13. A top wall strip 28b is configured with a breadth b which is between 0.5 cm and 3 cm, in particular between 0.5 cm and 2 cm. The top wall strip 28b is configured so as to be closed over the periphery and the breadth b is of equal size, substantially at each point in the peripheral direction around the cut-out hole 13. In the installed end position of the attachment 22, the outer end region 23a is positioned over its entire length on the outer face of the top wall strip 28b. The end region 23a is thus arranged in the narrow surface strip so as to be positioned between the edge contour 14 of the cut-out hole 13 and the top wall edge 28a.

[0067] In FIG. 10 a corresponding sectional view according to FIG. 6 is shown in a schematic view, wherein here an embodiment of a cut-out hole according to the prior art is shown. In this embodiment it may be identified that a rear end 16′ of the cut-out hole 13′ is configured in the plane E′ (to be understood relative to the installation direction P). Thus, as may be identified in FIG. 10, the front end region 23′ of the sealing element 23′ abuts against the edge contour 14′ and then according to the arrow P1 is possibly even completely bent to the rear or kinked to the rear and/or undesirably folded up until it is pushed over this sharp edge of the edge contour 14′. In this case, the end region 23a′ may be torn or otherwise frayed, such that when it subsequently bears against the outer face 9a it no longer bears thereagainst in a fully sealed manner.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0068] 1 Household refrigeration appliance [0069] 2 Housing [0070] 3 Outer housing [0071] 4, 4′ Inner container [0072] 5, 5′ Receiving area [0073] 6 Wall [0074] 7 Wall [0075] 8 Wall [0076] 9 Wall [0077] 9a Outer face [0078] 10 Wall [0079] 11 Intermediate space [0080] 12 Insulating foam [0081] 13 Cut-out hole [0082] 13′ Cut-out hole [0083] 14 Edge contour [0084] 14′ Edge contour [0085] 15 Edge contour portion [0086] 16 End [0087] 16′ End [0088] 17 Hole pocket [0089] 18 Pocket wall [0090] 19 Edge contour [0091] 20 Edge contour portion [0092] 21 End edge [0093] 22 Attachment [0094] 23 Sealing element [0095] 23a End region [0096] 23′ Sealing element [0097] 23a′ End region [0098] 24 End [0099] 25 Transition [0100] 26 Coupling projection [0101] 27 Base [0102] 28 Top wall [0103] 28a Top wall edge [0104] 28b Top wall strip [0105] B Breadth [0106] B Hole axis [0107] E Plane [0108] E′ Plane [0109] W Width [0110] P Installation direction [0111] P1 Installation direction