Domestic refrigeration device comprising a machine chamber having a carrier shell, on which carrier shell a further part is retained

Abstract

The invention relates to a domestic refrigeration device (1), comprising a housing (2), in which an inner container is arranged, which inner container bounds an interior (3, 4) for accommodating foods, and comprising a machine chamber (12) separated from the interior (3, 4), in which machine chamber at least components (6 to 11) of a refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration device (1) are arranged, wherein a carrier shell (11) is arranged in the machine chamber (12), on which carrier shell at least one further part (6, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48) is retained in such a way that the at least one further part is connected by at least one snap connection (49) and/or at least one plug-in connection (50, 53) and/or a locking connection (59) without any additional fastening elements.

Claims

1. A domestic refrigeration appliance comprising a housing, in which an inner container which delimits an inner chamber for holding food is arranged, and comprising a machine chamber, which is separate from the inner chamber and in which at least components of a refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration appliance are arranged, wherein a carrier tray is arranged in the machine chamber, the carrier tray including a base and longitudinal side walls having channels that are C-shaped in cross-section, on which said carrier tray at least one further part supported by the carrier tray is held in a connecting manner by a fastening assembly having at least one of at least one snap connection, at least one plug-in connection, and at least one locking connection, said fastening assembly not including additional fastening elements, wherein the at least one further part is supported by the C-shaped channels of the longitudinal side walls, the at least one fastening assembly configured to engage with the C-shaped channels of the longitudinal walls to fix a position of the at least one further part.

2. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening assembly includes the at least one locking connection, and the at least one locking connection includes at least one locking mount in the base that is configured for locking connection.

3. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one further part is connected to the carrier tray at two separate points at least.

4. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening assembly includes the at least one plug-in connection and the at least one locking connection, wherein a first part of the at least one further part is fastened to the base of the carrier tray with the at least one locking connection, and to a longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray with the at least one plug-in connection.

5. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first part of the at least one further part, when connected to the carrier tray, has a dimension in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the carrier tray that is smaller than a distance between two longitudinal side walls of the carrier tray.

6. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first part of the at least one further part is an operating capacitor housing of the domestic refrigeration appliance.

7. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening assembly includes the at least one plug-in connection and the at least one snap connection, wherein a part of the at least one further part is fastened to a first longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray with the at least one snap connection, and is connected to a second longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray with the at least one plug-in connection.

8. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening assembly includes the at least one snap connection, and the appliance further comprises a part of the at least one further part, the part of the at least one further part being connected to the carrier tray by the at least one snap connection, the snap connection having a pivotable snap element which engages in one of the channels on an upper edge face of one of the longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray.

9. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pivotable snap element has at least one integral plug-in element for a plug-in connection.

10. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the part of the at least one further part is a water stop unit or a collection and evaporation tray for thawed water or an electronic unit or a refrigerant compressor of a refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration appliance.

11. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening assembly includes the at least one plug-in connection, the at least one plug-in connection having plug-in elements in the form of projecting ribs formed on the at least one further part.

12. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening assembly includes the at least one snap connection, and wherein the at least one further part includes the at least one snap connection, the at least one snap connection interacting with at least one of the longitudinal side walls to support the at least one further part.

13. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one further part is arranged at a distance from the base such that the at least one further part does not contact the base of the carrier tray.

14. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one further part is configured to slide along the channels, and then the fastening assembly locks with a part of at least one of the channels.

15. A domestic refrigeration appliance comprising a housing, in which an inner container which delimits an inner chamber for holding food is arranged, and comprising a machine chamber, which is separate from the inner chamber and in which at least components of a refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration appliance are arranged, wherein a carrier tray is arranged in the machine chamber, on which said carrier tray at least one further part supported by the carrier tray is held in a connecting manner by at least one snap connection and at least one plug-in connection, wherein the carrier tray includes a base and longitudinal side walls that extend parallel to an X axis and are spaced from each other along a perpendicular Z axis, and having a height along a Y axis, the longitudinal side walls having channels that are C-shaped in cross section on upper edge faces of the longitudinal side walls, the upper edge faces including gaps for receiving said at least one plug-in in at least one of said channels, the at least one snap connection including at least one snap element provided to the further part, the at least one snap element configured to engage with at least one of the C-shaped channels and fixing a vertical position along the Y axis of the at least one further part in which the further part is spaced from the base during and upon assembly.

16. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein said channels extend longitudinally over an entire length of the longitudinal side walls.

17. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein the channels include a first channel on a first side of the tray and a second channel on an opposite second side of the tray.

18. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first channel includes a first opening and the second channel includes a second opening, the first opening and the second opening facing each other.

19. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one further part includes the at least one plug-in connection that is placed within one of the gaps in said channels.

20. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one plug-in connection extends through an upper surface of a C-shaped channel of the channels, and abuts a lower surface of the C-shaped channel.

21. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one further part includes the at least one plug-in connection that restricts longitudinal movement and the at least one further part includes the at least one connection that restricts vertical movement.

22. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein said at least one further part is configured to slide along the channels until the at least one plug-in connection reaches one of the gaps, at which point the at least one snap element snaps to the respective channel and fixes the at least one part to the carrier tray.

23. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one further part is configured to be inserted into only one of the channels, and is then pivoted to fix the further part to the carrier tray via the at lease one snap connection.

Description

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of an exemplary embodiment of an inventive domestic refrigeration appliance;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective rear view of the domestic refrigeration appliance according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective representation of an exemplary embodiment of a carrier tray in a machine chamber of the domestic refrigeration appliance;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective sectional representation of the carrier tray according to FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows an enlarged representation of a partial sectional representation from FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective representation of an exemplary embodiment of the fitting of a carrier tray according to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 with further parts;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective representation of a further exemplary embodiment of a carrier tray fitted with parts;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a perspective representation of an exemplary embodiment in which a water stop unit is fastened to a carrier tray;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a perspective top view of a partial section of the representation in FIG. 8;

(11) FIG. 10 shows a sectional representation of the representation in FIG. 8;

(12) FIG. 11 shows a further perspective sectional representation of a further exemplary embodiment, in which an electronic unit is retained on the carrier tray;

(13) FIG. 12 shows a further perspective of the representation in FIG. 11;

(14) FIG. 13 shows a perspective sectional representation of a further exemplary embodiment, in which an evaporation tray is fastened to the carrier tray;

(15) FIG. 14 shows a further perspective of the representation in FIG. 13;

(16) FIG. 15 shows a perspective sectional representation of a further exemplary embodiment, in which an operating capacitor is fastened to the carrier tray;

(17) FIG. 16 shows a first perspective of the operating capacitor;

(18) FIG. 17 shows a second perspective of the operating capacitor;

(19) FIG. 18 shows a third perspective of the operating capacitor;

(20) FIG. 19 shows a perspective sectional representation in a different view from the configuration according to FIG. 15;

(21) FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of the lower face of the carrier tray according to the embodiment in FIG. 15 and FIG. 19;

(22) FIG. 21 shows an enlarged representation of a subregion of the view in FIG. 20.

(23) In the figures identical elements or those of identical function are shown with identical reference characters.

(24) FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a domestic refrigeration appliance 1, which has a housing 2 configured as an outer housing. The housing 2 encloses an inner container, which delimits two different separate inner chambers 3 and 4, the inner chambers 3, 4 being configured to hold food.

(25) By way of example the lower inner chamber 4 is closed by a door 5. The upper inner chamber 3 is shown without such a door to allow a view into it, even though such a door is actually present on the domestic refrigeration appliance 1.

(26) The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 can be a refrigerator or a freezer or a combined refrigerator/freezer. It comprises at least one refrigeration circuit, by means of which corresponding cold temperature control is produced in the inner chambers 3 and 4. The refrigeration circuit comprises a refrigerant compressor 6, as shown in FIG. 2, which shows a perspective view of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 from the rear. The refrigeration circuit also comprises in particular a condenser and an evaporator. The refrigerant circulates through the circuit.

(27) As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant compressor 6 is arranged in a rear lower region of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. Said region represents a machine chamber 12. It is separated from the inner chambers 3 and 4. The machine chamber 12 is configured to hold components of the refrigeration circuit.

(28) During operation the refrigerant compressor 6 generates waste heat which is used to evaporate thawed water, which is collected, in the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. To this end the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 comprises an apparatus 7, which is configured to hold thawed water and subcomponents of which at least are also arranged in the machine chamber 12. To this end a drip tray 8 of the apparatus 7, which is configured to collect thawed water, is arranged in the machine chamber 12. It is arranged so to speak above the refrigerant compressor 6 so that there is a thermal coupling to evaporate the collected thawed water.

(29) The apparatus 7 also comprises a further collection tray 9 for the thawed water, which is connected to the drip tray 8 by way of a connecting line 10.

(30) The apparatus 7 also comprises a carrier tray 11, which is provided to hold the collection tray 9 and which is also arranged in the machine chamber 12.

(31) The machine chamber 12 is delimited by boundary walls.

(32) FIG. 3 shows a perspective representation of an exemplary embodiment of a carrier tray 11. It is configured as a single piece in particular from a metallic material and has a longitudinal axis A. The carrier tray 11 has a base 13, around the edges of which side walls 14 and 15 open out in an upright manner, representing longitudinal side walls, which thus extend parallel to the longitudinal axis A, as well as a front wall 16 and a rear wall 17. The longitudinal side walls 14 and 15 have C-shaped channels 18 and 19 on their upper edge faces away from the base 13. The C shape is formed in cross section and thus in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A. These channels 18 and 19 extend essentially over the entire length of the longitudinal side walls 14 and 15.

(33) Openings 20 and 21 are configured in the base 13 as locking mounts. Further recesses 22, 23, 24 and 25 are also configured, these also being designed as through openings. The openings 22 to 25 are preferably provided for the connection of a further part, configured as a refrigerant compressor 6, which is held in a fixed position on the carrier tray 11. In this embodiment the fastening is in particular at least one snap connection and/or at least one plug-in connection and/or at least one locking connection also without any further additional separate fastening element, so a configuration free from any additional fastening element or without any additional fastening element is achieved here.

(34) Provision is also made for said channels 18 and 19 to have slit-type recesses or gaps 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42. Such gaps 26 to 42 in particular form insertion regions for plug-in elements of a further part to be fastened to the carrier tray 11, providing in particular plug-in connections here.

(35) The carrier tray 11 is shown in a perspective sectional representation in FIG. 4, with the sectional plane here running perpendicular to the axis A and being characterized by the y-z plane. The C-shaped configuration of the channels 18 and 19 is shown, with the openings of the C shape facing one another.

(36) The C shape is formed by a 180 curvature of the upper configuration of the side walls 14 and 15.

(37) FIG. 5 shows an enlarged representation of a partial section of the view in FIG. 4, also showing the corresponding recesses in the form of the gaps 37 and 38.

(38) Such options for connecting further parts to the carrier tray 11 without additional separate fastening elements allow very fast but still positionally secure individual fitting of the respective further parts. The locational arrangement of the openings 20 and 21 and 22 to 25 and/or the locational and specifically shaped configurations of the gaps 26 to 42 allow individually shaped parts, which also vary in dimensions, to be fastened thereto. The parts can extend over the entire width (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A) and thus in the z direction between the channels 18 and 19 and can thus be fastened in corresponding gaps 26 to 42 opposite one another by means of plug-in connections. In the case of parts of correspondingly smaller width a similarly provided at least 2-point fastening can be effected on the one hand in at least one gap 26 to 42, on the other hand in an opening 21 to 25.

(39) FIG. 6 shows a perspective representation of an example, in which a number of further parts are fastened to the carrier tray 11. These can be electronic units 43 and 44, which are preferably fastened by plug-in connections and/or snap connections to the channels 18 and 19. An operating capacitor housing 45 can also be fastened correspondingly. The refrigerant compressor 6 is fastened as described above. The fastening of a further evaporation tray 46, which can also be the tray 9, is also provided with cover in the form of an evaporation grid 47 arranged above it. A connection to the carrier tray 11 without additional fastening elements is provided in each of these configurations.

(40) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a further exemplary embodiment of further parts fitted to the carrier tray 11 in a different manner from FIG. 6. The corresponding fastening of the collection tray 9 to the carrier tray 11 by means of a snap connection and/or a plug-in connection and/or a locking connection is also shown here. The fastening of a water stop unit (aquastop unit) 48 is also shown. It should be noted that the electronic unit 43 and the aquastop unit 48 are fastened in the channels 18 and 19 in particular by way of plug-in connections and/or snap connections. The collection tray 9 in contrast is fastened to the openings 20 and 21 at least by way of a locking connection and can also be connected at least on one side to a channel 18 or 19 by way of an additional plug-in connection.

(41) The operating capacitor housing 45 is correspondingly fastened on just one side to a channel 18 and locked to the base 13 on the other side by way of a locking mount.

(42) FIG. 8 shows an enlarged perspective sectional representation of the fastening of the water stop unit 48 to the carrier tray 11. It can be seen here that plug-in elements 48a in the form of positioning ribs engage in gaps, in particular the gaps 30 and 31, in the channel 18 and are thus inserted correspondingly. On the opposite side the mechanical coupling of the water stop unit to the channel 19 is brought about on the one hand by a snap connection 49 and on the other hand also by a plug-in connection 50. To this end plug-in elements 50a and 50b, which are molded on as a single piece, are also provided here in the form of positioning ribs, which in particular engage in or are inserted into the gaps 37 and 38 in the channel 19. The snap connection 49 comprises a rotatable foot with a snap element 51, which can be pivoted about an axis running parallel to the longitudinal axis A. A catch element 52 is also provided, which can be used to secure the snapped position of the snap element 51.

(43) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view from above of the representation in FIG. 8.

(44) FIG. 10 shows a view in the direction of the longitudinal axis A of the embodiments in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. It shows the pivoting of the snap element 51 about an axis B which runs perpendicular to the plane of the figure. The snap element 51 has a hook 51a, which engages in the hollow space of the C-shaped channel 19.

(45) FIG. 11 shows a perspective sectional representation of the fastening of the electronic unit 43 to the opposing channels 18 and 19 of the carrier tray 11. Here too a fastening is provided by way of both a snap connection 49 and a plug-in connection 53, with plug-in elements 53a and 53b configured again here as positioning ribs being inserted into gaps 28 and 29 in the channel 18. On the opposing side plug-in elements 50a and 50b are provided, which are integrated in the snap element 51 and again configured as positioning ribs, and these are inserted into the gaps 41 and 42.

(46) FIG. 12 again shows a view in the direction of the longitudinal axis A of the representation in FIG. 11. As in the representations in FIG. 10 and FIG. 12, the parts fastened to the opposing channels 18 and 19 are arranged at a distance from the base 13 so that they are positioned without contact therewith.

(47) FIG. 13 shows a perspective sectional representation of the fastening of the collection tray 9 to the carrier tray 11, the fastening principle here being the same as that set out in FIGS. 8 to 12 for the water stop unit 48 and the electronic unit 43. Reference should be made to the corresponding descriptions here.

(48) The further parts described above in the form of the collection tray 9, the electronic unit 43 and the water stop unit 48 have the dimensions measured over the entire distance between the channels 18 and 19 in the z direction and therefore perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A.

(49) FIG. 16 shows the part of the operating capacitor 45 described above, which is shorter in the z direction than the distance between the channels 18 and 19. Fastening to opposing channels 18 and 19 is therefore not possible.

(50) The operating capacitor housing 45 therefore has plug-in elements in the form of positioning ribs at one end, only one plug-in element 53a being shown in this exemplary embodiment. Configured adjacent thereto and running parallel thereto are positionally fixed snap elements 51a, 51b and 51c, which engage in the hollow space of the C-shaped channel 18. Tabs forming support ribs 54 and 55 (FIGS. 17 and 18) are also configured on the opposing ends in the manner of wings and project obliquely to the rear. The operating capacitor housing 45 is supported on the base 13 by means of said support ribs 54 and 55, in some instances also engaging in openings 56, the state in which the operating capacitor housing 45 is fastened to the carrier tray 11 also being shown in the perspective sectional representation in FIG. 15. The operating capacitor housing 45 also comprises a box 57 protruding through the carrier tray 11, as shown in FIG. 17. This in particular snap hook locks it to the base 13, with a locking connection thus being configured here between the box 57 and an opening in the form of a locking mount in the base 13. FIGS. 17 and 18 show respective perspective representations of the embodiment of the operating capacitor housing 45 with the respective connection elements.

(51) FIG. 19 shows a perspective sectional representation of the fitted operating capacitor housing 45 on the carrier tray 11. It also shows the connected state of the support rib 54 in the opening 58 in the base 13. The snapped state of the snap element 51c in the channel 18 is also shown.

(52) FIG. 20 shows a perspective representation from below of the embodiments in FIG. 15 and FIG. 19. The locked state of the box 57 in the base 13 is also shown here. A locking element 57a and an element 57b engage and lock in the openings 20 and 21 for this purpose.

(53) A locking connection 59 is also configured as a result.

(54) FIG. 21 shows an enlarged representation. In particular the element 57b is preferably configured as a simple plug-in element, which does not then lock in the opening 20 but is simply inserted so a plug-in connection with integrated locking connection is configured here, with the locking element 57a being correspondingly locked.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(55) 1 Domestic refrigeration appliance 2 Housing 3, 4 Inner chambers 5 Door 6 Refrigerant compressor 7 Apparatus 8 Drip tray 9 Collection tray 10 Connecting line 11 Carrier tray 12 Machine chamber 13 Base 14, 15 Side walls 16 Front wall 17 Rear wall 18, 19 Channels 20, 21 Openings 22 to 25 Recesses 26 to 42 Gaps 43, 44 Electronic units 45 Operating capacitor 46 Evaporation tray 47 Evaporation grid 48 Water stop unit 48a Plug-in element 49 Snap connection 50 Plug-in connection 50a, 50b Plug-in elements 51, 51a, 51b, 51c Snap elements 52 Catch element 53 Plug-in connection 53a, 53b Plug-in elements 54, 55 Support ribs 56 Openings 57 Box 57a Locking element 57b Element 58 Opening 59 Locking connection