Refrigerating device comprising a fluidically conductive door connection

Abstract

A refrigerating device, in particular a refrigerator and/or a freezer cabinet, comprising a heat-insulating housing and a heat-insulating door. At least one component is provided on or in the door, said component being fluidically and/or electrically connected by means of a line to at least one element which is arranged on the housing. The door is articulated to the housing by means of a multilink hinge. A support, which supports the line when the door is open, is provided in the intermediate area between the door and the housing. The invention is characterised in that the inner chamber of the refrigerating device can be almost completely accessed, when a water dispensing unit is provided on the door and even with solid doors.

Claims

1. A refrigerating device comprising: at least one of a refrigerator and a freezer cabinet, an insulated housing, an insulated door, at least one component that is provided on or in the door, said component being connected at least one of fluidically and electrically using a line to at least one element arranged on the housing, a carrier, and a multilink hinge whereby the door is articulated to the housing, wherein the line, when the insulated door is closed, extends outward from the housing in a substantially horizontal manner, bends horizontally to include a portion substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to a front portion of the insulated door, and bends to include a substantially vertical portion that passes into the door, the carrier supports the line under the multilink hinge, and the line is completely exterior to the multilink hinge.

2. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 wherein the component includes a dispenser unit for water, including at least one of cooled water and ice, and the line includes a hose.

3. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 wherein the component includes at least one of a display unit and an input unit and the line includes a cable, which is formed as at least one of a cable loom and a structure that is not a cable loom.

4. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 wherein the component includes an electrically operated final control element, including at least one of a valve and a flap valve on the door.

5. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 wherein the carrier supports the line when the door is open in an intermediate area between the door and the housing.

6. The refrigerating device according to claim 5 wherein the carrier is formed with a carrier surface below the multilink hinge and along which the line can move when the door is opened or closed.

7. The refrigerating device according to claim 5 wherein the carrier is secured to housing.

8. The refrigerating device according to claim 5 wherein the carrier is formed with an L-shaped profile and the line is supported by the horizontal leg of the L-shaped profile.

9. The refrigerating device according to claim 5 wherein the line is disposed immediately adjacent the multilink hinge.

10. The refrigerating device according to claim 9 wherein the line is at least partially encapsulated between the carrier and the multilink hinge.

11. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 wherein the door executes both a rotation motion and an extension motion using the multilink hinge such that an axis of rotation for the rotation motion moves outward from the insulated housing.

12. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 wherein the line is routed in an arc in a hinge-side area of the housing.

13. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 wherein the line has a vertical section in order to compensate for any torsion occurring when the door is opened.

14. A refrigerating device comprising: at least one cooled cabinet, an insulated housing, an insulated door, at least one component that is provided on or in the door, said component being connected at least one of fluidically and electrically using a line to at least one element arranged on the housing, a carrier, and a multilink hinge whereby the door is articulated to the housing, wherein the line, when the insulated door is closed, includes a first section adjacent the housing, a second section adjacent the door, a third section disposed between the first and second sections, and the first section, the second section and the third section are mutually orthogonal to one another, the carrier supports the line beneath the multilink hinge, and the line is completely exterior to the multilink hinge.

15. The refrigerating device according to claim 14, wherein the first section, the second section, and the third section form a continuous member.

16. The refrigerating device according to claim 14, wherein the multilink hinge includes a first hinge portion that is substantially parallel to a side of the insulated housing when the door is closed, a second hinge portion that is substantially perpendicular to the side of the insulated housing when the door is closed, the first section is substantially parallel to the first hinge portion when the door is closed, and the third section is substantially parallel to the second hinge portion when the door is closed.

17. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein the second section is substantially vertical.

18. The refrigeration device according to claim 14, wherein the door executes a rotation motion and an extension motion using the multilink hinge such that an axis of rotation for the rotation motion moves outward from the insulated housing.

19. The refrigeration device according to claim 14, wherein, when the door is closed, the line includes a bend between the first section and the third section and the bend is adjacent to a pivot point of the hinge.

20. The refrigeration device according to claim 14, wherein the carrier is adapted to support the line in an intermediate area between the door and the housing when the door is open.

21. The refrigerating device according to claim 1, wherein the multilink hinge provides translational and rotational movement for the insulated door.

22. The refrigeration device according to claim 14, wherein the multilink hinge provides translational and rotational movement for the insulated door.

23. The refrigerating device according to claim 1, wherein the multilink hinge has at least two pivot pins.

24. The refrigerating device according to claim 14, wherein the multilink hinge has at least two pivot pins.

25. The refrigerating device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier supports at least part of the portion substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to the front portion.

26. The refrigerating device according to claim 14, wherein the carrier supports the third section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous details and special embodiments, which in each case can be applied individually or can be combined with one another as desired in an appropriate manner, will be described in detail with reference to the following drawing which is not intended to restrict the invention but merely to illustrate it by way of example.

(2) In the schematic drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a refrigerating device according to the invention in a perspective view with a water dispensing unit in the door,

(4) FIG. 2 shows a section of a further refrigerator according to the invention with a demounted door in a perspective view,

(5) FIG. 3 shows a section of the device according to FIG. 2, whereby merely one part of the machine space and the line in the area of the door connection are illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a refrigerating device 1 according to the invention in a perspective view with a door 3, which has as one component 4 a display unit 9 and an input unit 10 for controlling the refrigerator 1 and a water dispensing unit 20 for ice pieces with a final control element 12 for an output valve (not shown). The electrical components 9, 10, 12 and also the water dispensing unit 20 are connected by way of a line 5 to a base unit 15 of the refrigerating device 1, whereby the line 5 has a hose 8 for water. The door 3 is connected with the aid of multilink hinges, here a seven-link hinge 7, to a housing 2 of the refrigerator 1. The line 5 is routed in immediate proximity beneath the lower multilink hinge 7 and is supported by a carrier 13 which accommodates the weight of the line 5.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a further refrigerating device 1 according to the invention, whereby a door 3 has been demounted in order to better illustrate the multilink hinge 7. The line 5, which consists of a hose 8 and a cable 11, is supported beneath the hinge 7 with the aid of the carrier 13. The carrier has a carrier surface 14 along which the line 5 can skid when the door 3 is opened and closed. The line 5 is routed in a first arc 18 and a second arc 21 in such a manner that a rotation/extension motion of the door 3 can be accommodated elastically on account of the multilink hinge 7 without major distortion of the line 5. The line 5 has a vertical section 11 which likewise elastically cushions the torsion or twisting of the line 5 occurring when the door is opened. The line 5 is brought to the door 3 from the base unit 15 in a hinge-side area 17 of the housing 2.

(8) FIG. 3 shows the refrigerating device according to FIG. 2, whereby in order to improve clarity further parts of the device housing are not shown. In a machine space 16, which is situated in the base unit 15, is arranged an element 6 from which cooled water is made available to a water dispensing unit (not shown) by way of the hose 8 as a line 5. The element 6 can for example be a water reservoir in which is arranged an evaporator for the water contained therein. When the door 3 is opened, on the one hand the first arc 18 and on the other hand the vertical section 19 is twisted, whereby however the twisting is so slight that the hose 8 is able to accommodate this without any difficulty. The hose 8 is supported by the carrier 13 with the carrier surface 14. As a result of the special guideway provided by the door 3 or the line 5 for the fluidic or electrical connection between an element 6 on the housing 2 and a component 4 in the door 3 a safe and reliable electrical and fluidic connection is created between the housing 2 and the door 3, which however on account of the use of a multilink hinge 7 nevertheless enables free access to an inner chamber (not shown) of the refrigerator 1.

(9) The invention relates to a refrigerating device 1, in particular a refrigerator and/or a freezer cabinet, comprising a heat-insulating housing 2 and a heat-insulating door 3, whereby at least one component 4 is provided on or in the door 3, which is connected fluidically and/or electrically by means of a line 5 to at least one element 6 on the housing 2, whereby the door 3 is articulated to the housing 2 by means of a multilink hinge 7, whereby in particular a carrier 13 is provided which supports the line 5 when the door 3 is open in an intermediate area between the door 3 and the housing 2. The invention is distinguished by the fact that it makes possible almost completely free access to the inner chamber of the refrigerator I even in the case of thick doors 3 even if a water dispensing unit 20 is provided on the door 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(10) 1 Refrigerating device 2 Housing 3 Door 4 Component 5 Line 6 Element 7 Multilink hinge 8 Hose 9 Display unit 10 Input unit 11 Cable 12 Final control element 13 Carrier 14 Carrier surface 15 Base unit 16 Machine space 17 Hinge-side area 18 First arc 19 Vertical section 20 Dispenser unit 21 Second arc