Shelf for domestic refrigeration appliance and domestic refrigeration appliance

Abstract

A shelf for a domestic refrigeration appliance includes an upper cover plate, a lower cover plate and a frame in which the cover plates are disposed. An intermediate space is formed between the cover plates as a thermally insulated space. A channel for conducting media is provided in the frame separately from the intermediate space. A domestic refrigeration appliance having the shelf is also provided.

Claims

1. A shelf for a domestic refrigeration appliance, the shelf comprising: an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate; said cover plates forming an intermediate space therebetween as a thermally insulated space having a vacuum formed in said intermediate space producing a thermally insulating effect; a frame in which said cover plates are disposed; and a channel for conducting media, said channel being formed in said frame separately from said intermediate space.

2. The shelf according to claim 1, which further comprises longitudinal sides of the shelf, said channel extending in a substantially linear manner between said longitudinal sides of the shelf.

3. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein: said frame is disposed in a plane; said intermediate space is one of first and second intermediate spaces; said cover plates include a first upper cover plate and a first lower cover plate received in said frame in said plane of said frame and having said first intermediate space formed therebetween; said cover plates include a second upper cover plate and a second lower cover plate received in said frame in said plane of said frame and having said second intermediate space formed therebetween; and said second upper cover plate, said second lower cover plate and said second intermediate space being respectively adjacent and separate from said first upper cover plate, said first lower cover plate and said first intermediate space.

4. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein said cover plates are transparent.

5. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein said cover plates are formed of genuine glass or plastics.

6. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein said frame has a multipart configuration including an upper first frame part and a lower second frame part being are positioned on top of one another and sealingly connected together.

7. The shelf according to claim 6, wherein said frame parts are of equal size.

8. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein the shelf is disposed in a plane, and said channel is disposed in said plane of the shelf alongside said cover plates and alongside said intermediate space.

9. The shelf according to claim 3, wherein said channel is disposed between said intermediate spaces and in series with said intermediate spaces.

10. The shelf according to claim 1, which further comprises first and second longitudinal sides of the shelf, said channel having a first opening on said first longitudinal side of the shelf.

11. The shelf according to claim 10, wherein said channel has a second opening on said second longitudinal side of the shelf.

12. A domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising: a housing; at least one receiving space for food being disposed in said housing; and at least one shelf according to claim 1 being disposed in said at least one receiving space.

13. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 12, which further comprises a cool air channel system coupled to said shelf to permit cool air to be conducted by said cool air channel system into said channel of said shelf.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a domestic refrigeration appliance according to the invention;

(2) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a shelf; and

(3) FIG. 3 shows a simplified sectional view through a partial region of an exemplary embodiment of a shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, in which elements that are the same or functionally the same are provided with the same reference characters, and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a domestic refrigeration appliance 1 which is configured for storing and conserving food. The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 may be a refrigerator or a freezer or a combined refrigerator-freezer. The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 has a housing 2 in which at least one receiving space for food is configured. In the exemplary embodiment a first receiving space 3, which may be a refrigeration compartment, is provided. By way of example, a separate second receiving space 4, which may be a freezer compartment, is provided. The two receiving spaces 3 and 4 are defined by walls of an internal container 5. Moreover, in the described exemplary embodiment the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 has a first door 6 which is configured for closing the receiving space 3. This first door 6 is pivotably disposed on the housing 2. A second door 7 which is separate from the first door 6 is also pivotably disposed on the housing 2 and is provided for closing the further receiving space 4.

(5) As may be identified in the view in FIG. 1, by way of example it may be understood that at least one separate and removable shelf 8 is disposed in the receiving space 3. The shelf 8 extends over the entire width of the receiving space 3, wherein this width is to be understood as being in the width direction (x-direction) of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. Moreover, this shelf 8 extends at least substantially over a large part of the depth (depth direction in the z-direction) of the receiving space 3. The shelf 8 is configured as a plate.

(6) By way of example and not to be understood as limiting in the exemplary embodiment shown, a first container 9 is disposed in the height direction (y-direction) directly below the shelf 8 in the receiving space 3. It may be provided that this container 9 extends over the entire width of the receiving space 3. In the exemplary embodiment shown, it is provided that adjacent this first container, which is a food receiving container, a separate second container 10 which is also a food receiving container is disposed in the width direction. The two containers 9 and 10 are disposed at the same height in the height direction.

(7) The shelf 8 is also configured, in particular, as a thermally insulating partition. Thus, in an advantageous embodiment an upper first partial region 3a of the receiving space 3 is also thermally insulated from a second partial region 3b located there below. In an advantageous embodiment the containers 9 and 10 are disposed in this second partial region 3b. These containers 9 and 10 are preferably configured as trays and/or troughs.

(8) An exemplary embodiment of a shelf 8 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 2. The shelf 8 has a first upper cover plate 11 and a first lower cover plate 12 disposed there below in the height direction and spaced apart therefrom. The two cover plates 11 and 12 preferably have a quadrangular configuration. The cover plates 11 and 12 are preferably configured to be transparent at least in regions thereof. The cover plates 11 and 12 are preferably formed of genuine glass.

(9) An intermediate space 13 (FIG. 3) is formed between the first upper cover plate 11 and the first lower cover plates 12. This intermediate space 13 is configured as a thermally insulated space. This means that it has a thermally insulating effect. It is thus provided that physical thermally insulating material is introduced into this intermediate space 13. In an advantageous alternative, it is provided that a vacuum is produced in this intermediate space 13 so that this thermally insulating effect is present.

(10) The shelf 8 also has a frame 14 which surrounds, in particular fully encompasses, the cover plates 11 and 12 on the periphery. The frame 14, in particular, has a multipart configuration, preferably a two-part configuration. It has a first frame part 15 and a separate second frame part 16. In particular, the two frame parts 15, 16 are configured to be of equal size and to bear directly against one another. At a connecting point and/or interface 17 they are releasably connected in a non-destructive manner, for example bonded or welded together. In particular, the frame parts 15 and 16 are configured in each case as integral or one-piece plastics parts.

(11) In particular, it is provided that the shelf 8 includes at least one channel 18 which, in particular, is a flow channel for gaseous or liquid media. In particular, the channel 18 is an air channel. The channel is configured separately from the intermediate space 13. When looking into the plane of the shelf 8, which corresponds to the x-y-plane, the channel 18 is configured so as not to overlap with the intermediate space 13.

(12) Preferably, the channel 18 extends from a first longitudinal side 19 of the shelf 8 to a second longitudinal side 20 of the shelf 8 which in this respect opposes the first longitudinal side 19. The two longitudinal sides 19 and 20, viewed in the depth direction, are the rear longitudinal side and the front longitudinal side. These longitudinal sides 19 and 20, therefore, extend in the width direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1.

(13) In this regard, a shelf 8 may be correspondingly configured as has been described above.

(14) In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the shelf 8 is configured as shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, in addition to the first upper cover plate 11 and the first lower cover plate 12, the shelf 8 has a separate further second upper cover plate 21 and a separate second lower cover plate 22. A further second intermediate space 23, which is a thermally insulated space, is configured between these two cover plates 21 and 22, which in turn are positioned directly superimposed on one another and spaced apart from one another in the height direction. This thermally insulated space is also preferably configured for the thermally insulating effect by a vacuum being produced.

(15) As may be identified in the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the cover plates 11 and 21 and 12 and 22, viewed in the plane of the shelf 8, are disposed so as not to overlap one another and are configured in this plane. In particular, it is provided that the channel 18 is disposed between these pairs of cover plates. In this connection, when viewed in the plane of the shelf 8, the channel 18 is also configured so as not to overlap with the intermediate space 23.

(16) The channel 18 has openings 24 and 25 at its opposing ends, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the channel 18. With these openings, the channel may be individually coupled to other media-conducting systems of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. For example, a cool air channel system 26 (FIG. 1) may be cited in this case. In this connection, the channel 18 may be coupled, for example, with its rear opening 24 to this cool air channel system 26 so that cool air may also flow through the channel 18. The channel 18 may be closed on the periphery over its entire length, as shown in FIG. 2, and may only be open at these two openings 24 and 25. However, it may also be provided that along this length of the channel 18 a further opening is configured on the upper face and thus on the upper frame part 15 and/or on the lower face and thus on the lower frame part 16. As a result, in advantageous embodiments, at targeted positions a medium may also be discharged upwardly or downwardly and thus above the shelf 8 and below the shelf 8. In a further embodiment, it is also possible for the opening 25 not to be present and thus for the channel 18 to be closed on the front face. This is possible if, as already mentioned above, at least one opening is configured on the upper frame part 15 and/or at least one opening is configured on the lower frame part 16 so that a medium may be discharged upwardly or downwardly in a targeted manner. The examples may also be combined in many ways.

(17) Additionally or alternatively, the channel 18 may also be coupled to a fluid supply unit of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. This may be provided if the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 has a keep-fresh container. Such a keep-fresh container may, for example, be formed by the container 9 and the shelf 8. As a result, a self-contained partial volume is created which is separate from the receiving space 3, in particular also the partial volume 3a. Through the use of such a keep-fresh container the storage of individual foods is possible since in this keep-fresh container different storage conditions may be set independently of the remaining receiving space 3. Thus, in this connection, a fluid mist may also be introduced through the fluid supply unit, for example, in order to be able to maintain the freshness of the food stored therein longer. Moreover, as described in the example of FIG. 1, two separate keep-fresh containers may be configured, one thereof being formed by the container 9 and the shelf 8 and the other being formed by the container 10 and the shelf 8.

(18) In FIG. 3, a diagrammatic, sectional view through the shelf 8 according to FIG. 2 is shown in the region of the cover plates 11 and 12.

(19) It may be provided that the cover plates 11 and 12 are produced and connected to the frame parts 15 and 16 by an injection-molding method, in particular they are produced by a two-component injection-molding.

(20) It may be provided that an upper face of an upper cover plate 11, 21 is flush with the upper face of a frame part 15. The same may be provided for the cover plates 12 and 22 with the frame part 16. Similarly, in one embodiment there may be a height difference between an upper cover plate 11, 21 and the upper face of the frame part 15. The same may be provided for the cover plates 12, 22 relative to the frame part 16.

(21) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention. List of reference characters: 1 Domestic refrigeration appliance 2 Housing 3 Receiving space 3a First partial region 3b Second partial region 4 Receiving space 5 Internal container 6 Door 7 Door 8 Shelf 9 Container 10 Container 11 Cover plate 12 Cover plate 13 Intermediate space 14 Frame 15 First frame part 16 Second frame part 17 Interface 18 Air channel 19 First longitudinal side 20 Second longitudinal side 21 Cover plate 22 Cover plate 23 Intermediate space 24 Opening 25 Opening 26 Cool air channel system