The present invention relates to a butter compartment for a refrigerator, in other words a compartment which is attached to a door of a refrigerator and can be sealed with a flap.
DE 196 33 975 A1 discloses door-mounted storage compartments for a refrigerator, which each comprise a four-sided frame that can be anchored to a refrigerator door, and a container which is mounted within the frame. The frame can be used with identical dimensions of container types with different heights, and a frame without a suspended container can also be used in order to secure tall refrigerated products, which stand in a container which is supported by a lower frame. This allows for a cost-effective manufacture of the door fixtures in a refrigerator.
One disadvantage with this design principle nevertheless consists in no suitable butter compartment previously being available in terms of appearance.
The present invention is to remedy this failing.
This object is achieved by a door-mounted storage compartment for a refrigerator comprising a four-sided frame that can be anchored to a refrigerator door and a receptacle, which is mounted within the frame, in which the frame is subdivided into a first frame part forming at least three sides of the frame and a second frame part which forms at least one section of a fourth side of the frame and is connected to the first frame part so as to be pivotable about a longitudinal axis.
This first frame part alone can represent a flap of the container, or a flap of the receptacle can be secured to the second frame part and is as a result pivotable.
Frames and receptacles can be manufactured from different materials, which differ in terms of their heat expansion coefficients. Metal such as aluminum or stainless steel can be used for the frame for instance, while the receptacle is made of plastic. In order to prevent parts of the door-mounted storage compartment from buckling due to different heat expansion coefficients, the flap and the frame part are preferably immobilized relative to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis at one single point. This means that regions between the flap and frame part, which are at a distance from this single point, can be moved relative to one another due to different heat expansion coefficients without stresses resulting therefrom being able to develop therebetween.
For immobilization purposes, a pin in the flap preferably engages in a recess of the second frame part at said point.
This sole point in respect of the longitudinal axis is preferably arranged centrally so as to prevent significant displacements caused by heat expansion occurring at one end of the second frame part, and none or minimal displacements occurring at the opposite end.
The flap can preferably be latched onto the second frame part.
A form-fit connection is preferably provided between the container and the first frame part adjacent to the two free ends in each instance in order to prevent opposite free ends of the first frame part from bending apart under the load of the receptacle and thus no longer offering the receptacle a firm hold. Such a form-fit connection can be formed in particular by pins pushed into flush openings in the receptacle and first frame part, in particular expansion rivets.
To keep the manufacture of the frame simple, the first frame part is preferably assembled from an elongated strut and two brackets attached to the ends of the strut and forming two corners of the frame in each instance. This enables the strut to be manufactured from a continuous casting profile for instance, while the two brackets are formed for instance using plastic injection molding or aluminum die-casting. Different frame models can thus be easily manufactured in a manner adjusted to different widths of the door in each instance.
A further simplification results if the elongated strut and the second frame part have the same cross-sections. These can be manufactured in particular from the same continuous casting profile.
A recessed tray can be provided in a cover of the receptacle, in order also to enable secure storage of refrigerated products on the container.
Further features and advantages of the invention result from the description which follows of exemplary embodiments with reference to the appended Figures, in which;
Frames 3, 4 of an essentially rectangular design are anchored to the two support rails 2 at different heights. A square plastic container 5 which opens upwards is suspended on the lowest frame 3, by a circumferential lip of the container 5 resting on the topside of the frame 3. The container 5 and its frame 3 thus form a door-mounted storage device, which can be used in particular for accommodating bottles.
No container is suspended on a second upper frame 3, it is used to secure bottles positioned in the lower container 5 from toppling over.
A container 6, the height of which is less than that of container 4, is in turn suspended on the next highest frame 3.
The topmost frame 4 which is anchored to the door 1 is identical to the frame 3 in terms of its external design, it has a somewhat different structure with a first frame part 7, which forms the two narrow sides of the frame 4 and a longitudinal side facing the door 1 and is anchored to the support rail 2, and a second frame part 8, which forms the main part of a longitudinal side of the frame 4 facing away from the door 1, and is connected in a pivotable fashion to the first frame part 1 about a longitudinal axis 14.
The top view of
The side parts 9, the longitudinal struts 13 and the second frame part 8 consist of stainless steel or preferably aluminum.
A container 15 suspended on the frame 4 takes the form of an essentially square box with an open longitudinal side which can be closed by a flap 16 fastened to the second frame part 8. As is shown in
In its position shown as closed in
Similar to container 5, container 15 also has a lip 19 on its upper edge, this nevertheless only rests on the first frame part 7, and not however on the second frame part 8. As apparent in
A lip 26 formed on the upper edge of the flap 16 is provided with an upwardly directed hook 27 and, in the perspective in
In order to immobilize the flap 16 on the frame part 8 also in the longitudinal direction thereof, a bore 30 indicated by dashed contours in
An input gap 45 in the groove 44 has such a width that a shaft, but not however a head of a fastening screw 50, can pass. Expansions 46, indicated in
A pair of opposing slots are formed in the two side walls 41, in which slots is guided in a vertically displaceably fashion a narrow slat 47. The slat 47 divides the interior of the groove 44 into a rear region accommodating the heads of the screws 50 and a front region, which accommodates the hooks of adapters 10 which pass through the openings 33.
The slat 47 is provided with a plurality of holes 48, which when the slat 47 is in a lowered position lie just below an opening 33 in the transverse bar 42 and are as a result not visible from the outside. The slat 47 can however be lifted into a position in which the holes 48 are flush with one of the openings 33 in each instance and through this opening 33 and the corresponding hole 48, the head of a rear positioned screw 50 is accessible for a tool, in order to fasten or detach the support rail 2 to/from the door 2. During normal use of the refrigerator, closed regions of the slat 47 lie in front of the screw 50 in each instance so that none are visible therefrom.
In respect of
In order to change the height of the frame 4, it is sufficient to pivot this in respect of
As shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2007 005 951.7 | Feb 2007 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2008/050731 | 1/23/2008 | WO | 00 | 8/3/2009 |