Domestic cooling appliance with two doors and a moving device for movement coupling of the doors

Abstract

A domestic cooling appliance has a housing and at least one receiving space for receiving food and first and second doors for closing the receiving space in the front. A first door is pivotally arranged at the housing a second door is pivotally arranged at the housing. The two doors are adjacent one another for closing the at least one receiving space at the front. The two doors are coupled to each other by a moving device, by which, upon operation of one of the two doors, automatically a concurrent movement of equal type of the other door is achieved.

Claims

1. A domestic cooling appliance, comprising: a housing; at least one receiving space for receiving food formed in said housing; two doors including a first door pivotally mounted at said housing and a second door pivotally mounted to said housing; said two doors being arranged adjacent one another for closing said at least one receiving space at a front thereof; a moving device, formed with a first operating unit at said first door, a second operating unit at said second door and a belt connecting said first operating unit to said second operating unit, coupling said two doors to one another so that, upon operation of one of said two doors, a concurrent movement of equal type is automatically effected of the other of said two doors by said belt being disposed to transfer a movement of one said operating unit, generated by a movement of a respective said door at which said operating unit is arranged, to the respectively other said operating unit; and said first operating unit including a coupling rod pivotally mounted to said first door.

2. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein said moving device is a purely mechanical device.

3. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein said belt is a rope or a chain.

4. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein said belt is arranged between said first and second operating units with a crossover crossing itself.

5. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein said coupling rod is a toothed rack.

6. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein said first operating unit includes a rotatable coupling wheel arranged at said housing externally to said first door and to which said belt is firmly coupled such that a rotation of said coupling wheel effects a movement of said belt.

7. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 6, wherein said coupling wheel is a toothed wheel.

8. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 6, wherein said coupling wheel is disposed in a receiving housing and said coupling rod enters said receiving housing via an inlet and exits said receiving housing via an outlet.

9. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 6, wherein said first operating unit comprises a coupling rod pivotally mounted to said first door and directly coupled to said coupling wheel.

10. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 9, which comprises a positioning bracket disposed in a coupling area between said coupling rod and said coupling wheel, said positioning bracket extending from said coupling wheel across said coupling rod and engages behind said coupling rod.

11. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein said second operating unit comprises a coupling rod pivotally arranged at said second door and said second operating unit comprises a rotatable coupling wheel arranged at said housing externally to said second door and having a belt firmly coupled such that a rotation of said coupling wheel effects a movement of said belt.

12. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 11, wherein said coupling rod is a toothed rack and said coupling wheel is a toothed wheel.

13. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 11, wherein said coupling wheel is disposed in a receiving housing and wherein one or both of the following is true: said coupling rod enters said receiving housing via an inlet and exits said receiving housing via an outlet and said coupling rod is coupled directly to said coupling wheel.

14. The domestic cooling appliance according to claim 13, which comprises a positioning bracket is arranged in a coupling area between said coupling rod and said coupling wheel, said positioning bracket extending from said coupling wheel across said coupling rod and engaging behind said coupling rod.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 a perspective view of an embodiment of a domestic cooling appliance according to the invention;

(2) FIG. 2 a top view of a first embodiment of a domestic cooling appliance according to the invention with a first embodiment of a moving device in the closed position of the doors;

(3) FIG. 3 the representation according to FIG. 2 in the maximally open position of the doors;

(4) FIG. 4 a perspective partial view of components of the embodiment according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3;

(5) FIG. 5 a further representation of components according to FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 6 a perspective views of a further embodiment of a moving device for coupling the doors;

(7) FIG. 7 a top view of the domestic cooling appliance with a moving device according to Fig., wherein the doors are closed;

(8) FIG. 8 a representation according to FIG. 7, wherein the doors are open in an intermediate position; and

(9) FIG. 9 the representation according to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, with the doors in a still further opened intermediate position.

(10) Identical or functionally equivalent elements bear the same reference numbers throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a perspective view a domestic cooling appliance 1, which has a housing 2. In the housing 2 a first receiving space 3 is formed, which is configured to receive food. The receiving space 3 is a continuous receiving space, which, accordingly, features a proportionate volume and which is delimited by walls of an inner container 19. The first receiving space 3 is delimited by walls of an inner container. At the front a receiving opening 4 is formed, which lies in the x-y plane and thus in a plane defined by the width direction and the height direction of the domestic cooling appliance, and which is a continuous receiving opening 4 or charging opening by which an uninterrupted area is enclosed. At the front the receiving opening 4 is delimited by a first delimiting edge or a first lower delimiting wall 5, an opposite second upper delimiting wall 6 or delimiting edge and, respectively adjacent thereto, opposite vertical delimiting edges or delimiting walls 7 and 8. Thus, the receiving opening 4 is circumferentially delimited by a delimiting edge and with regard to the area enclosed thereby constitutes a quadrangle, in particular a rectangle.

(12) The receiving space 3 is preferably a cooling space where food can be stored at temperatures above the freezing point, in particular at temperatures between +4 C. and +10 C.

(13) The exemplary domestic cooling appliance 1 according to FIG. 1 moreover comprises a second receiving space 9, which is separate from the receiving space 3 and which in a vertical direction and thus in the height direction of the domestic cooling appliance 1 is positioned underneath the first receiving space 3.

(14) The further receiving space 9 can be closed by a single door 10, which is shown in its completely closed state in FIG. 1. The door 10 is arranged at the housing 2 and rotatable around a rotation axis which extends in the height direction. Preferably, however, the door 10 is part of a drawer which can be moved in a linear motion in the depth direction.

(15) The domestic cooling appliance 1 moreover comprises a first door 11 and, separate thereto, a second door 12, which is also pivotally arranged at the housing 2. The two doors 11 and 12 are arranged so as to close the receiving space 3. In FIG. 1 they are shown in the opened state. On inner sides 13 and 14 of the doors 11 and 12, door racks are provided by way of example, of which only one is indicated by the reference number 15.

(16) Preferably, at the first door 11 a lath-shaped and thus linear door pillar 16 is arranged, which is arranged there pivotally and thus movably with regard to the first door 11. The door pillar 16 is pivotable around a rotation axis A, which is oriented in the height direction, relative to the first door 11. The door pillar 16 is a single-piece component and in the height direction extends across a dimension that corresponds to the clear width between two guiding devices 17 and 18. Therein, the first guiding device 17 is arranged at the first delimiting wall 5 and the second guiding device 18 at the opposite second delimiting wall 6.

(17) In the open position of the first door 11 shown in FIG. 1, the door pillar 16 extends in a plane which is oriented at an angle, in particular a right angle, to the plane in which the first door 11, in particular a door panel of said door 11, extends.

(18) FIG. 2 shows a partial top view of the domestic cooling appliance 1, wherein presently the doors 11 and 12 are shown in the closed end position. The domestic cooling appliance 1 comprises a moving device 20, by which the two doors 11 and 12 are coupled to each other. Consequent upon operation of only one of the two doors 11, 12, automatically a concurrent movement of equal type of the respective other door 12, 11 is achievable by the moving device 20. With regard thereto, opening constitutes one type of motion and closing constitutes a further type of motion.

(19) In the present embodiment the moving device 20 features a purely mechanical design. However, it can also be envisaged that an additional motor drive is present.

(20) The embodiment of the moving device 20 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a first operating unit 21 fastened or connected to the first door 11. Besides, the moving device 20 comprises a second operating unit 22 separate from the first operating unit 21, which is connected to the second door 12. In the present embodiment, the moving device 20 additionally comprises a belt 23, by which the two operating units 21 and 22 are coupled. The belt 23 can be a rope or a chain. As can be gathered from the partial or top view, said belt 23 is arranged such that it crosses itself. The belt 23 is a continuous belt that closes on itself. By the belt 23 a motion of an operating unit, for instance a motion of the operating unit 21, which has been initiated by a movement of the first door 11, can be transferred to the other operating unit 22.

(21) The first operating unit 21 comprises a coupling rod 24 which is directly connected to the door 11. In particular, the coupling rod 24 is thus pivotally connected to an upper door end profile 11 a of the first door 11 at a rear end thereof which, in the closed state of the door 11, faces the receiving space 3 that is capable of pivoting around an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the figures. In the embodiment the coupling rod 24 is a toothed rack.

(22) Besides, the first operating unit 21 comprises a coupling wheel 25, which is in particular a tooth wheel. The coupling wheel 25 is directly coupled to the coupling rod 24. The coupling wheel 25 is arranged externally to the first door 11 and positioned immovably in the housing 2 such that as a whole it cannot be moved in relation to the housing 2, but only rotated around an axis D which is perpendicular to the plane of the figures and thus extends in the height direction (y direction) of the domestic cooling appliance 1. As also shown in FIG. 2, the first door 11 is pivotable around an axis B. This axis B is also perpendicular to the plane of the figures and thus parallel to the axis D. Correspondingly, the second door 12 is pivotable around an axis C, which is also perpendicular to the plane of the figures.

(23) Besides, the first operating unit 21 features a positioning bracket 26, which in a direct coupling area 27, in which the coupling rod 24 is directly coupled to the coupling wheel 25, holds or positions these two components relative to each other. Thus, a slipping or decoupling of the coupling rod 24 from the coupling wheel 25 can be prevented. The positioning bracket 26 is arranged and formed such that it extends from the coupling wheel 25 across the coupling rod 24 and engages behind the coupling rod 24.

(24) Moreover, the positioning bracket 26 is also rotatable around the axis D and thus pivotable in relation to the coupling wheel 25. This is advantageous in that the positioning bracket 26 is precisely at the position of the coupling area 27. Due to the possibility of relative motion between the coupling rod 24 and the coupling wheel 25, this coupling area 27 can shift, as shown according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

(25) In the embodiment, the second operating unit 22 is identical in design to the first operating unit 21. Thus, the second operating unit 22 also comprises a coupling rod 28, a coupling wheel 29 and a positioning bracket 30. Moreover, it is likewise rotatable around an axis E with the coupling wheel 29.

(26) The belt 23 is connected to the two coupling wheels 25 and 29 such that a rotation of a coupling wheel 25, 29 directly results in a corresponding displacement or rotary motion of the belt 23, whereby in turn a corresponding rotary motion of the respectively other coupling wheel 25, 29 is effected.

(27) If starting from the closed position of the doors 11 and 12 according to FIG. 2 for instance the first door 11 is opened, in particular due to being grasped by a user, a pulling force is generated by said user which acts on the door 11. Due to the resultant pivoting around the axis B and the movement of the coupling rod 24 initiated thereby, the coupling wheel 25 is caused to rotate, whereby a displacement or rotary motion of the belt 23 is caused, whereby in turn the coupling wheel 29 is caused to rotate. In consequence of this rotary motion of the coupling wheel 29 automatically a concomitant movement of the coupling rod 28 is effected, whereby the second door 12 automatically swings open.

(28) FIG. 3 shows a top view of the domestic cooling appliance 1, in which the doors 11 and 12 are shown in their open end position. In this embodiment it is particularly provided that a maximum opening angle is greater than 120, preferably 130.

(29) FIG. 4 shows in a perspective view a portion of the domestic cooling appliance 1. It can be seen that the first operating unit 21 has a receiving housing 31. Therein, the coupling wheel 25 is arranged. Besides, it can be seen that the coupling rod enters the receiving housing 31 via an inlet 32 and exits the receiving housing 31 through an outlet 33 formed on the opposite side of the receiving housing 31. The belt 23 also enters the receiving housing 31 via a further inlet which is not shown and exits the receiving housing 31 via a further outlet which is not shown.

(30) The operating units 21 and 22 are in particular arranged in an upper area of the housing 2, in particular above a top wall of the inner container 19 and beneath a top wall of an outer container of the housing 2. The outer container of the housing 2 encloses the inner container 19.

(31) FIG. 5 presents the portion illustrated in FIG. 4 in a different perspective and shows the inside of the receiving house 31. The positioning bracket 26 is shown to extend across and engage behind the coupling rod 24.

(32) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of a moving device 20. In this embodiment likewise an attachment of coupling rods 24 and 28 of different operating units 21 and 22 is provided. Here, likewise, the pivotable joints connecting the coupling rods 24 and 25 to the doors 11 and 12 are specifically provided at the upper door end profiles 11 a and 12a.

(33) In these embodiments, the coupling rods 24 and 28 are not toothed racks.

(34) In this embodiment, the moving device 20 comprises a guiding element 34, which is in particular plate-shaped. In this plate-shaped guiding element 34 a first non-linear guide rail 35 is formed. The first coupling rod 24 engages into this non-linear guide rail 35 with a front end 24a and is guided therein. Besides, the guide rail 35 is formed with a first linear guide rail section 35a and a second guide rail section 35b which joins the first linear guide rail section 35a at an angle. The non-linear guide rail 35 presently features the shape of an arrowhead. Correspondingly, at the opposite end of the plate-shaped guiding element 34 a further second non-linear guide rail 36 is formed, which has the same form as the first non-linear guide rail 35. Said second non-linear guide rail 36 has a first linear guide rail section 36a and a second linear guide rail section 36b which joins the first linear guide rail section 36a at an angle. The second non-linear guide rail 36 also features the shape of an arrowhead. A tip 35c of said arrowhead shape of the first non-linear guide rail 35 faces the second non-linear guide rail 36. Correspondingly, in particular a tip 36c of the second arrowhead-shaped guide rail 36 faces the first non-linear guide rail 35.

(35) Besides, a free front end 28a of the second coupling rod 28 is guided in the second non-linear guide rail 36.

(36) Moreover, in the plate-shaped guiding element 34 a first linear guide rail 37, which is separate from the non-linear guide rails 35 and 36, and a second linear guide rail 38 separate thereto is formed. The two linear guide rails 37 and 38 are arranged on a connecting line 39, wherein this connecting line 39 is linear. In addition, said connecting line 39 also abuts on the tips 35c and 36c. In particular, this connecting line 39 is also a central line or symmetry line of the scissor gear 40. The scissor gear 40 is a component of the moving device 20. This scissor gear 40 with a first end 40a is guided in the first linear guide rail 37 and with an opposite second end 40b in the second linear guide rail 38.

(37) In the embodiment it is envisaged that between the end 24a of the coupling rod 24 and the first end 40a of the scissor gear 40 there is no direct flexible coupling provided, but an additional, specifically a linear and inherently rigid, connecting rod 41.

(38) It is moreover provided that the end 28a of the coupling rod 28 is flexibly connected to the second end 40b of the scissor gear and specifically, according to the embodiment, connected thereto not directly, but via a second straight, inherently rigid connecting rod 42. The scissor gear 40 can be folded and unfolded along the connecting line 39 and is thus capable as it were of contraction and expansion.

(39) FIG. 7 again shows a top view of the domestic cooling appliance 1 and thus a view thereof in the x-z plane, wherein presently the doors 11 and 12 are shown in their completely closed end position. As can be gathered from this embodiment, the end 24a is placed in the rear guide rail section 35a, which is spaced further from the door. The connecting rod 41 is presently arranged at an angle to the connecting line 39 and thus not parallel thereto.

(40) Analogously, the second connecting rod 42 is arranged at a corresponding angle to the connecting line 39. Here, likewise, the front end 28a is placed in the guide rail section 36a, which is spaced further from the door.

(41) If, taking the illustration of FIG. 7 as a starting point, one of the two doors, for instance the first door 11, is opened, the coupling rod 24 is moved or guided from its end position according to FIG. 7 towards the tip 35c, as shown in an intermediate position according to FIG. 8. Resultant from this motion path, via coupling a compression of the scissor gear 40 occurs and in consequence thereof the connecting rod 42 is simultaneously pulled inwards, since the end 40b of the scissor gear 40 in the second linear guide rail 38 moves in the direction of the first linear guide rail 37. Thus, the coupling rod 28 with its end 28a is guided from its end position according to FIG. 7 towards the tip 36c.

(42) FIG. 8 shows an intermediate position of the doors 11 and 12, in which the ends 24a and 28a have not yet reached the tips 35c and 36c. Nonetheless, FIG. 8 likewise illustrates the operating principle of coupling and concomitant motion such that automatically, consequent upon opening the first door 11, the movement of the second door 12 is effected via the moving device 20.

(43) Consequent upon further opening the door 11, the end 24a is guided beyond the tip 35c and thus guided in the second guide rail section 35b. The same applies to the end 28a. In the context of the steadily increasing opening angle and the rigidity and longitudinal stability of the coupling rods 24 and 28, the orientation of the guide rails 35b and 36b diagonally outwards is advantageous, wherein this orientation is to be understood as an orientation extending from the tips 35c and 36c to the front ends of said guide rail sections 35b and 36, which face away from the first guide rail sections 35a and 36a, respectively.

(44) Finally, FIG. 9 shows a top view representation of a further open intermediate position of the doors 11 and 12, where the ends 24a and 28a are already guided in the second guide rails sections 35b and 36, but the completely open end position of the doors 11 and 12 has not yet been reached. In this embodiment, it is in particular provided that a maximum opening angle is larger than 95, in particular 100.

(45) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: 1 domestic cooling appliance 2 housing 3 receiving space 4 receiving opening 5 delimiting wall 6 delimiting wall 7 delimiting wall 8 delimiting wall 9 receiving space 10 door 11 door 11 a door end profile 12 door 12a door end profile 13 inside of the door 14 inside of the door 15 door rack 16 door pillar 17 guiding device 18 guiding device 19 inner container 20 moving device 21 operating unit 22 operating unit 23 belt 24 coupling rod 24a end 25 coupling wheel 26 positioning bracket 27 coupling area 28 coupling rod 28a end 29 coupling wheel 30 positioning bracket 31 receiving housing 32 inlet 33 outlet 34 guiding element 35 non-linear guide rail 35a first guide rail section 35b second guide rail section 35c tip 36 non-linear guide rail 36a guide rail section 36b guide rail section 36c tip 37 linear guide rail 38 linear guide rail 39 connecting line 40 scissor gear 40a end 40b end 41 connecting rod 42 connecting rod