The invention relates to a cooling appliance, in particular to a refrigerator or freezer having at least one tray located in the cooling space of the cooling appliance.
The design and the arrangement of such trays in the cooling spaces of cooling appliances are known in a number of different variants. The trays serve, independently of their specific configuration, for the receiving of the product to be cooled or to be frozen, with the latter naturally being able to be goods of the most varied shapes and sizes. Previously known trays frequently have a non-variable, largely smooth surface which serves as a support for all of the goods placed in independently of the shape and size of the product to be cooled or to be frozen.
It is the underlying object of the present invention to further develop a cooling appliance of the initially named kind such that the trays can be adapted to different demands.
This object is solved by a cooling appliance having the features described herein. According to this, an insert is provided which is movable relative to the tray and which forms the surface of the unit comprising the tray and the insert at least regionally in at least one position. The insert can be configured in the shape of a plate. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the insert is arranged such that it can be turned over as required so that the upwardly disposed side of the insert can be adapted to the given demands. The term “movable” includes e.g. the case that the insert can be removed from the tray or e.g. also the case that the insert can admittedly not be removed, but is variable in its position relative to the tray.
In a further aspect of the invention, a recess is arranged on the upper side of the tray. The insert or the recess is dimensioned such that the insert can be placed into the recess and is thereby fixed in its position.
The insert can have an upper side and a lower side which have structured surfaces which differ from one another. It is, for example, conceivable that the insert has a surface comprising at least one recess on one side. Provision can further be made for the insert to be made smooth on one side and for it thus to be able to serve as a usual planar storage surface. With an upper side and a lower side of the insert which are made differently, different surface structures can be realized so that a corresponding variability and adaptation to different demands is possible.
In a further aspect of the invention, the recess for the receiving of the insert has a closed peripheral rim. Provision can be made alternatively to this for the recess to be configured open toward one or more sides of the tray.
The insert can be removed from the tray, i.e. it can be completely taken off the tray. It is generally furthermore possible for the insert not to be completely removable from the tray, but for it only to be displaceable or pivotable relative to the tray or to a recess provided therein. It is also conceivable for the insert to be arranged pivotably relative to the tray via a suitable pivot device such that it can be turned over.
The shape of the recess can largely be any desired. It is possible that the recess is angular, for example rectangular or square or has roundings, i.e. is circular or oval, for example.
Provision is made in a further aspect of the invention for the depth of the recess to correspond approximately to the height of the insert or to exceed it. If the depth of the recess corresponds to the height of the insert, a flush surface results between the insert and the surface of the tray surrounding the recess. If the depth of the recess exceeds the height of the insert, a stepped embodiment accordingly results.
In a particularly preferred aspect of the invention, a plate is provided which is dimensioned such that it can be received in the recess. The plate can, for example, be a glass plate. However, any embodiments deviating therefrom are also conceivable. Due to the said dimensioning of the glass plate, it is possible to arrange said plate beneath the said insert if it is not required as a storage surface. The particular advantage results from this that a separate stowage space outside the tray or the cooling appliance is not required for the reception of the plate. If the plate is not needed as a storage surface, it can be positioned beneath the insert in the recess of the tray. If it is needed, it can be removed from there and placed on top of the insert and can form a part of the storage surface in this manner.
It is particularly advantageous for the depth of the recess of the tray to correspond to the sum of the thickness of the plate and the height of the insert. For this case, a flush arrangement results between the plate and/or the insert and the regions of the tray surrounding the recess independently of whether the plate lies above or below the insert.
Provision is made in a further aspect of the invention for one or more cut-outs to be provided in the marginal region of the recess of the tray for the removal of the insert and/or of the plate. It is possible in this manner to remove the insert and/or the plate without problem. Cut-outs can additionally or alternatively be arranged in the insert and/or in the plate, for example in their marginal regions.
It is particularly preferred for the tray to have heat-insulating properties and to separate two compartments of the cooling appliance operated at different temperatures. If the tray is configured for removal from the cooling appliance, a particularly flexible configuration of the cooling appliance results with a correspondingly high variability. The tray can have an intermediate space 12 as shown in
In a preferred aspect of the invention, the tray comprises a tub-shaped substructure body onto which a glass plate is placed, with the aforesaid intermediate space being formed between the substructure body and the glass plate bonded thereto.
Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. There are shown:
a and 1b: perspective illustrations of a tray with a recess with and without an insert located in the recess; and
a-2d: different views of a tray with a recess and an insert with a glass plate received therein; wherein
a shows a substantially rectangular tray 10 which is received in the inserted state in the cooling space of a cooling appliance, in particular of a refrigerator or of a freezer, by means of suitable holders. On its upper side, the tray 10 has the recess 50 which can be seen from
Apart from the embodiments of the tray 10 and of the recess 50 shown in
As can be seen from
The insert 20 has at its upper side shown
As can further be seen from
At its lower side not visible in
As can be seen from
A further embodiment of the invention can be seen from
The
It further results from the sectional views in accordance with
In the arrangement shown in
The insert 20 shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20 2004 020 115 U | Dec 2004 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2005/014095 | 12/28/2005 | WO | 00 | 3/21/2008 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/072439 | 7/13/2006 | WO | A |
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