Domestic refrigerator having a closing cam which has a coupling projection with a recess

Abstract

A domestic refrigerator has a housing and a door pivotably disposed on the housing by way of hinges. At least one hinge has a door closing fitting part on the door side with a closing clip. A bearing element having a closing cam which is coupled to the locking clip in the closed state of the door is formed on the housing. The closing cam has a coupling projection formed, on a coupling contour which faces it in the state in which it is coupled to the locking clip, with a recess in which a projection end piece formed on the locking clip engages in the coupled state.

Claims

1. A domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising: a housing; a door; hinges pivotally mounting said door to said housing; at least one of said hinges having a door closing fitting part with a closing clip disposed on an end wall of said door and a bearing element with a closing cam disposed on said housing, said closing cam being coupled to said closing clip when said door is closed; said closing clip having opposing mounting surfaces, said closing clip being mounted to said end wall on one of said opposing surfaces, said opposing mounting surfaces being parallel to said end wall in an installed position of said closing clip on said end wall, said closing clip being formed with a projection end piece defining a projection outer contour having an external radius, said projection outer contour being a surface of said closing clip connecting said opposing mounting surfaces to one another; said closing cam having a coupling projection and a recess formed in a coupling contour facing towards said closing clip in a coupled state, said coupling projection having a rounded contour, said recess being defined by an internal radius; a pivot axis of said hinges, said coupling projection of said closing cam extending generally away from said pivot axis, said projection end piece of said closing clip extending generally toward said pivot axis when said door is closed; and said coupling contour having a surface which is generally perpendicular to said direction of extension of said projection end piece, said projection end piece of said closing clip engaging in said recess with said external radius contacting said internal radius, in the coupled state when said door is closed, where said surface of said coupling contour is configured to hold said projection end piece in direct contact at least in parts.

2. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said coupling contour of said recess is configured without corners.

3. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said projection end piece has a corner-free contour on a side thereof facing towards said recess.

4. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said coupling contour has a concave curvature to form said recess.

5. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said closing clip is arranged in a resilient manner on said door closing fitting part.

6. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said door closing fitting part is arranged on a lower end face wall of said door.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of an exemplary embodiment of an inventive domestic refrigeration appliance with door closing fitting parts on an upper door and a lower door of the domestic refrigeration appliance shown enlarged;

(2) FIG. 2 shows a perspective exploded view of the door closing fitting part on the lower door of the domestic refrigeration appliance according to FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 shows a perspective exploded view of the door closing fitting part on the lower door of the domestic refrigeration appliance according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 4 shows a view from below of the domestic refrigeration appliance with the door open and a diagram of components of a closing system;

(5) FIG. 5 shows an enlarged diagram of a partial detail in FIG. 4; and

(6) FIG. 6 shows a view from below of the domestic refrigeration appliance with the door closed completely in contrast to FIGS. 4 and 5.

(7) Identical elements or elements of identical function are shown with identical reference characters in the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a domestic refrigeration appliance 1 which has an inner container, the walls of which delimit a storage chamber or receiving chamber for food. The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 has an upper door 2 and a second door 3 arranged below it in a vertical direction or in the heightwise direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. The upper door 2 has an upper end wall 4a and a lower end wall 4b and the lower door 3 has an upper end wall 4c, these representing the narrow faces or the upper edge and lower edge of the doors in each instance. In the exemplary embodiment shown the two doors 2 and 3 are configured as doors that are hinged on the right, meaning that the doors 2 and 3 are opened manually with a pivot movement from left to right.

(9) The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 also has door hinges 5a, 5b and 5c, which support the respective door leaf or the door 2, 3 in a pivotable manner. The door hinges 5a, 5b and 5c are configured to support the respective door 2, 3 in a first position, as shown in FIG. 1, hinged on the right and in a second embodiment (not shown) hinged on the left. As shown in both enlarged details in FIG. 1, a door closing fitting part 6, 7 is assigned to each lower door hinge 5b, 5c of each door 2, 3.

(10) The lower door hinge 5c of the lower door 3 and the associated door closing fitting part 7 are shown in more detail in an exploded view in FIG. 2 and in the assembled state in FIG. 3.

(11) The lower door hinge 5c, which is arranged at the base of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1, has a support 8. The support 8 is connected in a fixed manner to the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. It is therefore fastened to the housing here. The support 8 has an extension 9 that bends away at a right angle. A bearing bush 10 is positioned on, in particular attached to, the extension 9. The bearing bush 10 is formed by a plastic bush in the exemplary embodiment shown. In the mounted state, as shown in FIG. 3, the bearing bush 10 projects into a seat carrier 11 on the lower end wall 4b of the lower door 3, thereby forming a pivot joint of the door hinge 5c. The bearing bush 10 supports a cam-type activator contour in the form of a closing cam 12.

(12) The door closing fitting part 7 of the lower door hinge 5c, which is configured in an identical manner to the door closing fitting part 6 of the door hinge 5b, has a fastening segment 13 and a spring segment 14. The fastening segment 13 is configured for the door closing fitting part 6, 7 to be mounted with both left and right hinges.

(13) To this end the fastening segment 13 of the door closing fitting part 6, 7 has a depression 15 on each opposing side. The end wall 4d of the door 3 also has a cutout 16 configured with the correspondingly same shape, as shown in FIG. 2. The door closing fitting part 7 is fixed to the end wall 4d of the door leaf or the door 3 by means of a separate connecting piece 17. To this end the separate connecting piece 17 has a sub-segment 17a, which is inserted with a form fit optionally into one or the other depression 15 in the fastening segment 13 depending on the mounted position of the door closing fitting part 6, 7. A sub-segment 17b of the connecting piece 17 projecting from the depression 15 engages with a form fit in the cutout 16 in the end wall 4d of the door leaf in the mounted position.

(14) The door closing fitting part 6, 7 is configured as an identical part for optional hinging on the right or left. The depressions 15 provided on the fastening segment 13 mean that the door closing fitting part 6, 7 can be particularly narrow. This means that the structural height of the door closing fitting part 6, 7 is very small. The illustrated door closing fitting part 6, 7 for example only has a structural height of 10 millimeters. This low structural height allows the door closing fitting part 6, 7 also to be mounted in a narrow gap for example between the upper door leaf or the upper door 2 and the lower door leaf or the lower door 3 of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1, as also shown for the door hinge 5b in FIG. 1.

(15) It can also be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the fastening segment 13 of the respectively illustrated door closing fitting part 6, 7 has just two through holes 18 arranged at a distance from one another in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. A screw 19 is inserted into each of the two through holes 18, fixing the door closing fitting part 6, 7 to the respective door 2, 3.

(16) Reference is made below to FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 to describe a closing system 20 of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 further. To this end FIG. 4 shows a view from below of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1, looking at the narrow face or end wall 4b with the door 2 in the opened state. The abovementioned door closing fitting part 6 is fastened to the door 2 in a fixed position on this lower end wall 4b. This door closing fitting part 6 has the abovementioned fastening segment 13 and the spring segment 14, which is formed by a closing clip 21. A projection end piece 22 with a corner-free outer contour 23 is configured on a front free end of the closing clip 21.

(17) A bearing element 24, having the abovementioned closing cam 12 and retaining web 25, is fastened to the housing 2 in a fixed position. The closing cam 12 has a coupling projection 26. The coupling projection 26 has a recess 28 on a coupling contour 27 that is facing when coupled to the closing clip 21. The projection end piece 22 engages in said recess 28 in the coupled state between the projection end piece 22 and the closing cam 12.

(18) It can be seen that the coupling contour 27 of the recess 28 is also configured without corners. The coupling contour 27 has a concave curvature to form the recess 28. The recess 28 is also configured to hold the projection end piece 22 with a close fit at least in parts.

(19) FIG. 5 shows an enlarged diagram of the closing cam 12 with the recess 28. The dip or depression in the coupling projection 26 formed by the recess 28 is clearly shown.

(20) FIG. 6 shows a view from below like the one in FIG. 4 but FIG. 6 shows the door 2 in the completely closed state. It can also be seen here that the projection end piece 22 engages in said recess 28 and is therefore as it were latched therein to a certain degree or engages behind the coupling projection 26.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(21) 1 Domestic refrigeration appliance

(22) 2 Door

(23) 3 Door

(24) 4a Upper end wall

(25) 4b Lower end wall

(26) 4c Lower end wall

(27) 4d End wall

(28) 5a Door hinge

(29) 5b Door hinge

(30) 5c Door hinge

(31) 6 Door closing fitting part

(32) 7 Door closing fitting part

(33) 8 Support

(34) 9 Extension

(35) 10 Bearing bush

(36) 11 Seat carrier

(37) 12 Closing cam

(38) 13 Fastening segment

(39) 14 Spring segment

(40) 15 Depression

(41) 16 Cutout

(42) 17 Connecting piece

(43) 17a Sub-segment

(44) 17b Sub-segment

(45) 18 Through holes

(46) 19 Screw

(47) 20 Closing system

(48) 21 Closing clip

(49) 22 Projection end piece

(50) 23 Outer contour

(51) 24 Bearing element

(52) 25 Retaining web

(53) 26 Coupling projection

(54) 27 Coupling contour

(55) 28 Recess