DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE WITH A FRAME ARRANGED IN AN INTERIOR CONTAINER

Abstract

A domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a receiving chamber for foodstuffs is formed, which is delimited by walls of an interior container, wherein a frame is arranged in the interior container such that it can be non-destructively detached and is positioned offset toward the front at a distance from a rear wall of the interior container.

Claims

1. A domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a receiving chamber for foodstuffs is formed, which is delimited by walls of an interior container, characterized in that in the interior container a frame is arranged such that it can be non-destructively detached and is offset toward the front at a distance from a rear wall of the interior container.

2. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is closed all round.

3. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is formed in one piece.

4. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is arranged on at least one holding rod separate thereto.

5. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the frame comprises on at least one vertical frame part a coupling element, which, in assembled state, is coupled to a coupling element on the holding rod in the interior container in order to position the frame.

6. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coupling element of the frame part is a receiving trough.

7. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 6, wherein the receiving trough is rectilinear and formed over the entire extension of the frame part.

8. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the holding rod is arranged on an inner side of a wall, in particular a vertical side wall, of the interior container.

9. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the holding rod is screwed to the side wall.

10. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame extends over the entire width dimensioned between two opposite vertical side walls of the interior container.

11. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame comprises two feed-through openings separated by a separating web of the frame.

12. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 11, wherein the frame, in particular with the separating web, is arranged on a partition wall separate to the frame.

13. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame sits on a floor.

14. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 13, wherein the floor is a bottom wall of the interior container or a compartment floor or a thermally insulating partition wall between two separate receiving chambers of the domestic refrigeration appliance.

15. The domestic refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front side of the frame comprises a sealing element in particular completely surrounding a feed-through opening of the frame.

Description

[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to schematic drawings, which show:

[0027] FIG. 1 a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a domestic appliance according to the invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 a magnified view of a partial region of the domestic refrigeration appliance as shown in FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3 a sectional view through the domestic refrigeration appliance as shown in FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 4 a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of an additional compartment of the domestic refrigeration appliance;

[0031] FIG. 5 a side view of the additional compartment shown in FIG. 4;

[0032] FIG. 6 a perspective view from behind of the additional compartment shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5;

[0033] FIG. 7 a perspective view of a delimiting wall of an additional compartment formed as a frame of an additional compartment with holding rods on which the frame is arranged in the end position;

[0034] FIG. 8 the view of the frame shown in FIG. 7 with the additional holding rods on which the frame can be fastened;

[0035] FIG. 9 a front view of a partial region of the domestic refrigeration appliance as shown in FIG. 1, wherein in this case the frame shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 is partially pushed onto the holding rods as shown in FIG. 8;

[0036] FIG. 10 a view of the domestic refrigeration appliance with the components shown in FIG. 7, wherein in this perspective the frame is arranged in its end position provided with the holding rods;

[0037] FIG. 11 a simplified vertical sectional view through a domestic refrigeration appliance as shown in FIG. 1 in which the additional compartment is installed at a first position;

[0038] FIG. 12 a vertical sectional view of FIG. 11, wherein in this case the additional compartment is assembled in the receiving chamber in a second position different from that in FIG. 11; and

[0039] FIG. 13 an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a partition wall, which can be arranged in the additional compartment.

[0040] In the figures, the same elements or elements with the same functions are given the same reference numbers.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a domestic refrigeration appliance 1. The domestic refrigeration appliance 1, which is intended to store and preserve foodstuffs, comprises a housing 2. Formed in the housing 2 is a first receiving chamber for foodstuffs, which in the exemplary embodiment is a chiller compartment 3. At least one further receiving chamber, which is a freezer compartment 4, is formed in the housing 2. The freezer compartment 4 can be closed by a separate door 5, which in FIG. 1 is shown in closed state. The door 5 can be a front wall of a drawer which can be pushed into and pulled out of the freezer compartment 4.

[0042] The chiller compartment 3 can be closed at the front side by one single door arranged in a pivotable manner on the housing 2. In the exemplary embodiment, it is provided that the chiller compartment 3 can be closed by a door 6 and a further door 7 at the front side. The two separate doors 6 and 7 can each be pivoted about a pivot axis in the height-wise direction (y-direction).

[0043] In the chiller compartment 3, compartment bottoms 8 and 9, the number, position and embodiment of which should only be understood as being exemplary, are arranged at different heights and hence at different levels. They are in particular arranged on internal sides of opposite walls 10 and 11 (FIG. 2), but can additionally also be arranged on a rear wall 12. The walls 10 and 11, which represent vertical side walls, the rear wall 12 and a top wall 13 and a bottom wall 14 represent walls of an interior container 15. The walls 10 to 14 also delimit the chiller compartment 3, wherein the bottom wall 14 of the chiller compartment 3 is also a partition wall between the chiller compartment 3 and the freezer compartment arranged thereunder.

[0044] In the exemplary embodiment, an additional compartment 16 is also formed in the chiller compartment 3. The additional compartment 16 is intended to receive foodstuffs. It comprises several separate delimiting walls, by means of which a receiving volume 17 (FIG. 2) is delimited. In particular, the receiving volume 17 is delimited on all sides by delimiting walls of the additional compartment 16 so that this is a completely closed chamber.

[0045] The delimiting walls of the additional compartment 16 are formed so that they can be non-destructively detached so that they can be separated and joined non-destructively. As a result, the additional compartment 16 can be reversibly assembled and dissembled again in the receiving chamber and hence in the chiller compartment 3.

[0046] The modular design of this additional compartment 16 hence enables this additional compartment 16 to be created in the chiller compartment 3 for an individual user but also to be dismantled again.

[0047] Hence this additional compartment 16 can be present or not present as required and hence then used for its intended function in the chiller compartment 3 or, if it is not required, disassembled.

[0048] The additional compartment 16 is in particular a keep-fresh compartment in which an atmospheric humidity different from the remaining volume of the chiller compartment 3 and/or a temperature different to that in the remaining volume of the chiller compartment 3 can be set selectively. To this end, the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 comprises an adjusting apparatus as is explained below.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows the additional compartment 16 in assembled state and moreover assembled at a first defined position provided by way of example in the chiller compartment 3. In this case, the additional compartment 16 is assembled in the lower region of the chiller compartment 3.

[0050] In this case, the additional compartment 16 comprises as a separate delimiting wall a top wall 18, as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a partial segment of the interior container 15 of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. This top wall 18 represents a separate component, which can be removed from the chiller compartment 3 and re-inserted therein again. It can also be a compartment floor on which additionally further goods to be stored can then be placed from above. In the exemplary embodiment, this top wall 18 then also represents a partition wall with a further, self-enclosed storage chamber 19 (FIG. 1), which is also formed in the chiller compartment 3.

[0051] As can also be identified in FIG. 2, the additional compartment 16 also comprises a separate front wall 20 as a further delimiting wall. In the embodiment shown, this front wall 20 is a frame 21 comprising at least one, in the exemplary embodiment two, feed-through openings 22 and 23. Viewed in the depth-wise direction (z-direction) of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1, the frame 21 is arranged offset toward the front at a distance from rear wall 12. In the exemplary embodiment, the additional compartment 16 extends over the entire width of the chiller compartment 3, wherein this width is dimensioned in the width-wise direction and hence in x-direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. It is also possible for an additional compartment 16 to be provided which has a narrower width in this respect.

[0052] Moreover, a further delimiting wall of the additional compartment 16 is formed by the side wall 10 and a further delimiting wall by the side wall 11 of the interior container 15. In the embodiment shown, moreover a delimiting wall of the additional compartment 16 is also formed by the floor 14 of the interior container 15.

[0053] To attach the separate delimiting walls in the form of the top wall 18 and the front wall 20 to the interior container 15 local fastening means are provided on the interior container 15 and/or the top wall 18 and/or the front wall 20.

[0054] In particular, this defined locally arranged fastening means then also specifies a defined first installation position of the additional compartment 16 in the chiller compartment 3.

[0055] Receiving drawers 24 and 25, as shown in FIG. 1, can be pushed through the feed-through openings 22 and 23 so that they are then at least partially arranged in the receiving volume 17. As can be identified in FIG. 1, in pushed-in state of the receiving drawers 24 and 25, front walls 24a and 25a of the receiving drawers 24 and 25 are also front walls that completely cover the feed-through openings 22 and 23 at the front side. It is in particular provided that a first sealing element 26, in particular completely surrounding the feed-through opening 25, is arranged on a front side 20a of the front wall 20. A further sealing element 26 surrounding, in particular completely surrounding, the further feed-through opening 23 is arranged at this front side 20a. In closed state of the receiving drawers 24 and 25, the front walls 24a and 25a then lie on the rear side of these sealing elements 26 and 27 so that in this case a corresponding sealing effect is also achieved.

[0056] It can also be provided that at least one receiving drawer 24 and/or 25 comprises a lid 28 (FIG. 3) or a lid 29 (FIG. 4) with which the receiving drawers 24 and 25 are covered from above. It is also possible to adjust the position of the lids 28 and 29 relative to the receiving drawers 24 and 25. As a result, it is possible for the receiving drawer 24 or 25 to be completely covered from above or for a specific opening gap to be set between a lid 28, 29 and a receiving drawer 24, 25 by a stepwise-enabled elevation of the lid 28, 29. As a result, the temperature and/or atmospheric humidity prevailing in the interior of the receiving drawer 24 or 25 can be individually changed.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line of intersection III-III in FIG. 1.

[0058] FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of partial components of the additional compartment 16. In this case, the receiving drawers 24 and 25 are depicted. The top wall 18 and the front wall 20 are also identifiable as the frame 21.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the components of the additional compartment 16 from behind as depicted in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 from other perspectives or views.

[0061] This view also shows a further separate delimiting wall of the additional compartment 16, wherein this further separate delimiting wall represents a partition wall 30. This partition wall 30 is arranged in the receiving volume 17 of the additional compartment 16 such that, as can already be identified in FIG. 2, this receiving volume 17 is divided into two partial volumes 17a and 17b. The partition wall 30 is preferably a thermally insulated wall so that the two partial volumes 17a and 17b can also be thermally insulated from one another. As a result, once again different storage conditions can be set in this partial volume 17a and 17b independently of one another.

[0062] Formed in the partition wall 30, are in particular one or more air ducts, wherein the air ducts feed into a rear edge 30a. FIG. 6 shows a feed from a first air duct 31 and a feed from a second air duct 32. The air ducts 31 and 32 respectively feed into one of the partial volumes 17a and 17b, wherein for example the air duct 31 is able to feed into the partial volume 17b and the air duct 32 into the partial volume 17a. In particular, the partition wall 30 and the two air ducts 31 and 32 can be coupled to a further air duct system in the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 so that cold air and/or air provided with a specific moisture content can be introduced individually into the partial volumes 17a and 17b.

[0063] This partition wall 30 can be formed in one piece but can also be assembled as a multi-piece component. Further explanations of this will be given in the following.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the frame 21. As can be identified in this case, at least in some regions, the frame 21 has a panel-type structure and hence, at least in some regions, has a type of reinforcing structure 33 in which a plurality of struts 34 are arranged, wherein in this case, for purposes of clarity, the reference number 34 only shows one strut.

[0065] The frame 21 is in particular formed in one piece, in particular made of plastic.

[0066] FIG. 8 shows how the frame 21 can be mounted on two separate holding rods 35 and 36. These linear holding rods 35 and 36 can preferably be attached, in particular screwed-on, at defined positions on the interior container 15, in particular on internal sides of the vertical side walls 10 and 11. To this end, preferably defined connecting points in particular screw domes, can be specified at fixed points on these vertical side walls 10 and 11. As a result, different positions are then also specified for the holding rods 35 and 36 so that, at least viewed in the height-wise direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1, these holding rods 35 and 36 can be fastened at at least two different heights and hence at two different positions. As a result, then in particular two different positions or installation positions for the additional compartment 16 are also specified in this height-wise direction.

[0067] It can additionally or alternatively be provided that, in the depth-wise direction (z-direction) of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1, at least two different depths are specified at which the holding rods 35 and 36 can be fastened, in particular screwed-on. This embodiment enables both dimensions of the additional compartment 16 to be set in the depth-wise direction and the general position in the height-wise direction to be selected.

[0068] In FIG. 8 it can also be identified that the frame 21 comprises on opposite sides, in particular vertical sides, grooves as receptacles 37 and 38 in which the holding rods 35 and 36 engage. When the holding rods 35 and 36 are fastened in their desired positions to the side walls 10 and 11, the frame 21 can be pushed onto them. In this case, FIG. 8 shows a partially pushed-on interim assembly state, while FIG. 7 shows the completely pushed-on final state of the frame 21 on the holding rods 35 and 36.

[0069] FIG. 9 is a front view of the components shown in FIG. 2, wherein in this case the frame 21 is shown in the interim assembly position on the holding rods 35 and 36 as shown in FIG. 8.

[0070] In this case, the partition wall 30 has already been assembled in advance and arranged in its end position. As can be identified in this case, the frame 21 is preferably also fastened to this partition wall 30. To this end, a receptacle 40, which can be a recess or a trough or a groove, is also formed on a rear side of an intermediate web 39 (FIGS. 7, 8) of the frame 21. The partition wall 30 also comprises on its front side 30c a holding-rod element 30b, which then engages in this receptacle 40 when the frame 21 is pushed onto the holding rods 35 and 36 and the partition wall 30 has been assembled in advance.

[0071] To this end, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the assembled final state of the frame 21, wherein in this case it is then also possible to identify the engagement of the element 30b into this receptacle 40. The partition wall 30 can be inserted or latched or screwed onto the floor 14. It is also correspondingly possible for a connection with the rear wall 12 be provided or it is also possible in this case for it to be provided that a rear side or the rear edge 30a of the partition wall 30 only lies on as large an area as possible of the rear wall 12.

[0072] In FIG. 10, it is also possible to identify further bearing webs 41 and 42 on the side walls 10 and 11 which are molded-on in one piece. In particular, it is then possible for the top wall 18 of the additional compartment 16 to be placed on these webs 41 and 42.

[0073] FIG. 11 is a simplified vertical sectional view (cutting plane corresponds to the y-z-plane) of a domestic refrigeration appliance 1 with which the additional compartment 16 is arranged in a first defined installation position in the height-wise direction. In this case, the floor 14 is a thermally insulating partition wall, in particular of the interior container 15, with which the chiller compartment 3 is separated from the freezer compartment 4. The air duct 31 is shown here. The receiving volume 17 can be an inherently interconnected receiving volume and hence it is possible for the partition wall 30 not to be present. If the partition wall 30 is optionally present, it is then possible for cold air and/or air provided with the corresponding atmospheric humidity to be introduced into the partial volume 17b via the air duct 31 in the partition wall 30 via corresponding openings 31a (FIG. 10).

[0074] FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to FIG. 11 showing a further exemplary embodiment or a further type of installation in which the additional compartment 16 is assembled in a defined second position or installation position different from FIG. 11 in the chiller compartment 3. This modular assembly of the additional compartment 16 with the separate delimiting walls also enables different positions in the chiller compartment 3 to be specified at which this assembly of the additional compartment 16 is enabled. As can be identified in this case, when viewed in the height-wise direction, the second position is above the first position shown in FIG. 11. A floor of the additional compartment 16 is in this case formed by a, in particular freely projecting, compartment floor 44. Supplementary to the two different height positions shown by way of example in FIGS. 11 and 12, it is also possible for further height positions to be provided and/or additionally also for different positions to be provided for the additional compartment 16 in the depth-wise direction at which it can be assembled.

[0075] The delimiting walls of the additional compartment 16 are preferably thermal insulation walls which have the result that no unwanted alignment of the storage conditions in the additional compartment 16 with those in the remaining volume of the chiller compartment 3 occurs. The frame 21 is then also correspondingly advantageous formed as a thermally insulated wall of this kind.

[0076] Once again, with this embodiment, a floor 43 of the interior container 15 is the floor of the chiller compartment 4.

[0077] It is in particular provided that the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 comprises a refrigeration circuit some of the components of which can be arranged in a machine room 45 of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. As can be identified in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, an evaporator 46 of this refrigeration circuit 45 is arranged in the freezer compartment 4 but separated therefrom by a partition wall 47. As a result, an evaporation chamber 48 is formed. In particular, a fan (not shown) is preferably also arranged in this evaporation chamber 48 which blows air cooled on the evaporator 46 into the freezer compartment 4 and through a duct 49 extending in the rear wall of the interior container 15 into the chiller compartment 3.

[0078] This duct 49 terminates at an outlet 50. Preferably, a first outlet 50 and a second outlet 51 are provided so that, in this case, coupling of the duct 49 to the air ducts 31 and 32 at different heights is enabled. It can be provided that the outlets 50 and 51 can, for example, be closed by self-closing flaps. As a result, when assembling the additional compartment 16 at the first position shown in FIG. 11, the air ducts 31 and 32 can be coupled at the outlet 50 and then this flap sealing the outlet 50 can open, for example automatically, in particular on the insertion of the partition wall 30. In this position shown in FIG. 11, the flap sealing the outlet 51 is then closed. If, on the other hand, the assembly of the additional compartment 16 is provided at the further position shown in FIG. 12, this flap sealing the outlet 51 is open, while the flap sealing the outlet 50 is closed.

[0079] Air from the chiller compartment 3 is guided through a further through-opening 52 via a duct 53, in particular extending in a side wall of the housing 2 back to the evaporation chamber 48.

[0080] It can also be provided that the cold air flowing via the air ducts 31 and 32 into the partial volumes 17a and 17b between for example a front edge of the top wall 18 and the feed-through openings 22 and 23 reaches the remaining volume of the chiller compartment 3 if an embodiment is provided there which does not require tightness such as that explained with the above example and hence a certain exchange of atmospheric humidity and/or temperature between the receiving volume 17 and the remaining regions of the chiller compartment 3 is to be provided.

[0081] Instead of the two separate air ducts 31 and 32, it is also possible for one single duct to be provided in the partition wall 30 which then preferably comprises outlet openings 31a on both sides so that both partial volumes 17a and 17b can be correspondingly supplied with the same cold and/or moist air. However, preferably these two separate air ducts 31 and 32 are provided.

[0082] As already explained, this partition wall 30 can be formed in one piece. However, it can also be formed in multiple pieces and, for example, formed as explained as explained with reference to FIG. 13. In this case, it can be provided that the separate components of this partition wall 30 in are in particular four components that are joined together. To this end, two in particular identical insulating bodies 54 and 55 can be provided. These can be made of a heat-insulating material, such as, for example, expanded polystyrene. Moreover, it is also possible for two drawer parts 56 and 57 to be provided representing outer closing plates and surrounding the insulating bodies 54 and 55 and hence so-to-speak forming a sleeve for these insulating bodies 54 and 55. These drawer parts 56 and 57 are in particular made of solid plastic. The drawer parts 56 and 57 preferably each have a, in particular flat, baseplate 58 which each form one of the edges of the partition wall 30 and are formed in the air-passage openings 31a and 32a. The baseplates 58 are framed by a peripheral web 59. At a lower rear corner 60, the drawer parts 56 and 57 are preferably blunted or rounded-off so that it can be suitably used with an exact fit to the, in particular rounded-off, transition on a thermoformed interior container 15 between a rear wall 12 and a floor 16. In the rear section of the web 59, in each case two recesses 61 are formed on two drawer parts 56 and 57 in alignment with the air ducts 31 and 32.

[0083] The insulating bodies 54 and 55 preferably are each configured as flat parellepipeds on the main surfaces on the mutually facing surfaces of which two horizontally extending grooves 62 and 63 are formed as recesses, wherein the upper groove 62 is in alignment with the air-passage openings 32a in the upper half of the drawer part 56. The insulating body 55 only differs from the insulating body 54 in its orientation. They can both be converted into one another by a 180 rotation about a horizontal axis 64 so that one air duct 31 or 32 is delimited by an insulating body 54, 55 on the groove 62 and the other on the groove 63. Through-openings 65 in the insulating body 54 are in alignment with air-passage openings 32a. Correspondingly, through-openings 66 in the insulating body 55 are in alignment with the air-passage openings 31 a.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0084] 1 Domestic refrigeration appliance [0085] 2 Housing [0086] 3 Chiller compartment [0087] 4 Freezer compartment [0088] 5 Door [0089] 6 Door [0090] 7 Door [0091] 8 Compartment floor [0092] 9 Compartment floor [0093] 10 Wall [0094] 11 Wall [0095] 12 Rear wall [0096] 13 Top wall [0097] 14 Bottom wall [0098] 15 Interior container [0099] 16 Additional compartment [0100] 17 Receiving volume [0101] 17a Partial volume [0102] 17b Partial volume [0103] 18 Top wall [0104] 19 Storage chamber [0105] 20 Front wall [0106] 20a Front side [0107] 21 Frame [0108] 22 Feed-through opening [0109] 23 Feed-through opening [0110] 24 Receiving drawer [0111] 24a Front wall [0112] 25 Receiving drawer [0113] 25a Front wall [0114] 26 Sealing element [0115] 27 Sealing element [0116] 28 Lid [0117] 29 Lid [0118] 30 Partition wall [0119] 30a Rear edge [0120] 30b Holding-rod element [0121] 30c Front side [0122] 31 Air duct [0123] 31a Air-passage opening [0124] 32 Air duct [0125] 32a Air-passage opening [0126] 33 Stiffening structure [0127] 34 Strut [0128] 35 Holding rod [0129] 36 Holding rod [0130] 37 Receptacle [0131] 38 Receptacle [0132] 39 Intermediate web [0133] 40 Recess [0134] 41 Bearing web [0135] 42 Bearing web [0136] 43 Floor [0137] 44 Compartment floor [0138] 45 Refrigeration circuit [0139] 46 Evaporator [0140] 47 Partition wall [0141] 48 Evaporation chamber [0142] 49 Duct [0143] 50 Outlet [0144] 51 Outlet [0145] 52 Through-opening [0146] 53 Duct [0147] 54 Insulating body [0148] 55 Insulating body [0149] 56 Drawer part [0150] 57 Drawer part [0151] 58 Baseplate [0152] 59 Web [0153] 60 Rear edge [0154] 61 Recess [0155] 62 Groove [0156] 63 Groove [0157] 64 Horizontal axis [0158] 65 Through-opening [0159] 66 Through-opening