Patent Application
20180045451
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German application DE 10 2016 214 839.7, filed Aug. 10, 2016; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a cooling compartment is provided, which is closable by a first door movably arranged on the housing. The domestic refrigeration appliance contains a freezing compartment which is separate from the cooling compartment and is closable by a second door movably arranged on the housing.
Domestic refrigeration appliances are known in which receptacle compartments for food are provided and which are configured, firstly, as a cooling compartment and, secondly, as a freezing compartment. The food can thus be stored at different temperatures.
Precisely when domestic refrigeration appliances are also to be arranged in a furniture wall and in that context are also to be usable as built-in appliances, the functionality is possibly also restricted since a door can then be covered over, if needed, by an additional part, in particular, in the form of a furniture front panel.
It is also known that domestic refrigeration appliances can contain a dispensing unit which is configured for the output of liquid and/or molded ice elements. In this context, devices are known in which the output unit of the dispensing unit is arranged in a door, whereas the ice maker is arranged externally in a receptacle chamber of the domestic refrigeration appliance and can also be arranged in a cooling compartment.
Furthermore, embodiments are known in which the overall dispensing unit is arranged with its output unit and with the ice maker internally in the door. In these embodiments, however, the rear-side space requirement of the door and thus the space requirement on the region facing the cooling compartment in the closed state of the door is relatively large. Such a rearward protrusion leads in conventional devices thereto that, in the open state of the door, this protrusion is undesirably in the way with regard to accessibility to the cooling compartment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a domestic refrigeration appliance which is suitable with regard to installation in a furniture wall and is nevertheless highly functional.
A domestic refrigeration appliance according to the invention contains a housing in which a cooling compartment is provided. The cooling compartment is closable by means of a first door movably arranged on the housing. The domestic refrigeration appliance contains a freezing compartment which is separate from the cooling compartment and is closable by a second door movably arranged on the housing. The two doors are separate doors which can be actuated independently of one another. In particular, the doors are closing parts of the domestic refrigeration appliance at the front side. The two doors are arranged, in particular, adjoining one another and/or extending in a same plane and without overlap in this plane. An important concept of the invention is to be found therein that on a front side of the first door, a first additional part separate from the first door is arranged as a facing or covering part and a perforation and a hole is formed in this additional part, through which an output unit of a dispensing unit belonging to the domestic refrigeration appliance which is configured for the output of liquid and/or molded ice elements is accessible. By such an embodiment, a highly functional domestic refrigeration appliance can be provided which in two different compartments, specifically the cooling compartment and the freezing compartment, can store food under different conditions, in particular, different temperatures. Furthermore, the domestic refrigeration appliance is entirely suitable as a built-in appliance and can therefore be built into an installation niche of a furniture wall. By the additional part, a covering is provided on the front side which is adaptable, in particular, to the environment of the furniture wall. Furthermore, it is also possible with a domestic refrigeration appliance of this type, to provide a dispensing unit which is then readily accessible through the additional part.
It is provided, in particular, that the cooling compartment is closable by the first door and by a third door arranged, seen in the width direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance, beside the first door. In an advantageous embodiment of this type, therefore, two doors are provided which are configured as leaf doors with which the cooling compartment is closable. By this means, the cooling compartment can be configured larger or, on the other hand, for the accessibility of the cooling compartment, the opening of both doors must not necessarily take place, rather just one door can be opened, so that an escape of refrigeration energy is reduced and thus a more energy-efficient operation is possible. Furthermore, not only a single very large door must be provided for closing the cooling compartment, which would be heavy to actuate and also would also need significantly larger dimensioned hinges.
It is preferably provided that an ice maker of the dispensing unit is arranged in the cooling compartment and is spaced from the first door. Such a locally fixed installation of the ice maker in the cooling compartment itself and thus externally to the door enables a relatively small construction of the door since only this one output unit of the dispensing unit must be arranged on the door. An undesirably large protrusion of a rear side of the first door is thereby prevented, so that in the open state of the first door, such a large protrusion, since it is not present, does not stand undesirably in the way with regard to access to the cooling compartment.
In particular, it is provided that an ice maker of the dispensing unit is arranged on the first door. In such embodiments, the output unit and the ice maker are thus arranged in this first door itself and are therefore positioned completely internally in the door. The entire dispensing unit is therefore spatially fixed to the door and is moved therewith. In an embodiment of this type, additional components for connecting the ice maker and the output unit, as in the embodiment described above in which the ice maker is arranged in the cooling compartment, are therefore not required. Interfaces between the ice maker and the output unit which with permanent coupling and uncoupling must nevertheless be configured lastingly sealing and enabling a continuous transfer are also not required in this completely integrated embodiment of the dispensing unit in the first door.
In particular, it is provided that the first additional part is a furniture front panel. With this embodiment, the front covering of the domestic refrigeration appliance can be particularly advantageously adapted to the surroundings of the installation niche in which the domestic refrigeration appliance can be installed. In the closed state of the first door, the domestic refrigeration appliance is then effectively no longer recognizable as such in the region of the first door, but is covered by the furniture front panel. A tidy and calm front-side visual appearance of the furniture wall is thereby achieved.
In particular, it is preferably provided that at a front side of the second door, a second additional part separate from the second door is arranged as a facing or covering part. The advantages achievable in this regard have already been set out above in the description of the first additional part on the first door.
Here also, it can be provided that the second additional part is a furniture front panel.
In particular, it is provided that the domestic refrigeration appliance has an adjusting device with which at least the output unit of the dispensing unit is adjustable relative to the first door and/or relative to the first additional part in at least two spatial directions. This is a further very advantageous embodiment since effectively a plurality of separate components are provided which must be built in exactly positioned to one another. This concerns firstly the first door, secondly the first additional part and further additionally, at least the output unit. Since, due to manufacturing tolerances and other tolerances, positional inaccuracies can arise, these can be counteracted by the adjusting device.
In particular, it is provided that the adjusting device is also configured to adjust the additional part relative to the door and/or relative to the output unit and also this is enabled particularly in at least two spatial directions. In this context, it can be achieved in a particularly advantageous manner that firstly, at least, one of the two components, specifically for example, the output unit or the additional part is in the foreground and, in this regard, firstly, an orientation to one of the two other components takes place. Once this has taken place, by means of the adjusting device, the other component, specifically the output unit or the additional part can then be adjusted, so that the interplay of these specified three components with regard to the respective individual desired position of at least one of the other components can be achieved as well as possible.
It is preferably provided that the adjusting device has at least one displaceable adjusting element which is asymmetrical in shape and which is arranged in a niche offset forwardly in the depth direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance relative to a rear back wall region of a housing of the output unit, the niche being delimited by a further back wall region of the housing arranged further forward. This is a very advantageous embodiment, since thus precisely when the whole dispensing unit is built into the first door, the space requirement in the depth direction must be kept as small as possible rearwardly. In this protruding receptacle on the rear side of the first door on which the whole dispensing unit is also installed, in particular, additional thermal insulating material is also provided by means of which a sufficient thermal insulation effect is to be achieved in the closed state of the door to the cooling compartment. Since the thermal insulating material is to be configured with a certain thickness in the depth direction in order to be able also to achieve an energy-efficient insulating effect, a certain build-up here in the depth direction is unavoidable. If this adjusting element were to adjoin the rear back wall region of the housing, seen in the depth direction, additional structural space would be required here, which would again enlarge the protruding receptacle on the rear side of the door. In that with the advantageous embodiment of the invention, such a niche region is now explicitly provided in the design of the back wall region of the housing, this structural space extension in the depth direction is no longer required. The niche can accommodate this adjusting element and, in particular, the adjusting element then no longer protrudes rearwardly, seen in the depth direction, beyond this rear back wall region so that the component part lying furthest rearward in the depth direction is already formed by the rear back wall region and adjoining this in the depth direction, the thermal insulating material can again be introduced at the desired thickness.
It is preferably provided that the adjusting element is a wedge. With an embodiment of this type, a particularly precise and finely adjusted and also continuous position setting can take place.
It is preferably provided that the domestic refrigeration appliance has a water-conducting assembly with which water, in particular from a water network externally to the appliance is conductable to the dispensing unit. The water-conducting assembly has at least one valve which is arranged on the first door or on the second door. The supply of the water to the output unit and/or to the ice maker is dosed with the valve. With such an embodiment, access to the valve is improved and a position is also provided in which freezing-up of the valve is prevented. The position of the at least one valve in this regard is also advantageous particularly in the embodiments in which the overall dispensing unit is arranged in the door. Since therefore both conduits, of which one leads to the output unit and the other to the ice maker, are then also laid as extensively as possible in the door itself, the mounting of the at least one valve, particularly two valves if the supply of water is provided, firstly, to the output unit for the output of a liquid and, secondly, to supply the ice maker to generate molded ice elements, is advantageous. In this regard, short conduit routes can also be realized with as few interfaces as possible. A possible leakage problem is also thereby minimized.
It is provided, in particular, that further components of the water-conducting assembly are arranged in a machine space of the domestic refrigeration appliance, wherein the machine space is situated, in particular, in a lower rear region of the housing. In order to conduct the water from the machine space to the dispensing unit, conduits are also laid which extend through a hinge with which the first door is pivotably arranged on the housing, and then are further laid in the door. A particularly special advantage is to be seen therein that with an embodiment in which both the output unit and also the dispensing unit are arranged in the door and in that respect, therefore, two separate valves are also required, only a single feed conduit from the machine space via the door hinge to the two valves on the door is required, since the further distribution via two separate conduits from the respective valves, firstly, to the output unit and, secondly, to the ice maker is already provided in the door itself. By this means, the difficult interface for carrying out a water-conducting connection from outside the door via the hinge to the door can also be improved, since now only a single conduit must be fed through this hinge.
In particular, it is provided that the at least one valve is arranged at a lower region of a door and is covered by the additional part on the front side of the door. With this embodiment, the valve is also arranged protected but nevertheless easily accessible. Furthermore, with this exposed mounting on the lower edge of the door, the valve is not in the way of other components and in this regard also then does not restrict access to the cooling compartment or the freezing compartment.
In particular, the valve is arranged on a lower edge of the first door which closes the cooling compartment.
It is preferably provided that the output unit and an ice maker of the dispensing unit are arranged on the first door and the door is arranged to be pivotable on the housing with a multiple-joint hinge, wherein the multiple-joint hinge is configured such that a rotation axis of the first door is displaceable or displaced in the width direction during the pivoting movement of the first door. This is a particularly advantageous embodiment since thus, firstly, the entire dispensing unit can be arranged in the first door itself and a larger construction in the depth direction rearwardly resulting therefrom and thus at the rear side of the first door nevertheless does not lead thereto that in the open state of the door, access to the cooling compartment is undesirably restricted. Due to this displacement of the rotation axis in the width direction and therewith an automatic spatial displacement of the rotation axis when the pivot movement of the first door is carried out, this door therefore becomes automatically displaced further outwardly so that here also the access to the cooling compartment is improved.
A further independent aspect of the invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a cooling compartment is provided, which is closable by a first door movably arranged on the housing. The domestic refrigeration appliance further contains an output unit and an ice maker which are components of a dispensing unit. The dispensing unit is configured for the output of liquid and/or molded ice elements. The overall dispensing unit and thus the output unit and the ice maker are arranged on the first door and are therefore arranged internally in the door. A rear side of the first door facing toward the cooling compartment has a receptacle which is oriented protruding toward the cooling compartment, and in which the dispensing unit is arranged. A significant concept of this further independent aspect of the invention is to be found therein that the first door is pivotably arranged on the housing with at least one multiple-joint hinge, in particular at least two multiple-joint hinges, wherein the multiple-joint hinge has a mechanism with which during the pivoting movement of the first door, a rotation axis of the first door is displaceable or is displaced in the width direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance. Thus, particularly in embodiments of the domestic refrigeration appliance wherein the entire dispensing unit is arranged internally in the door and wherein therefore an enlarged structure is arranged in the depth direction on the rear side of the door in comparison with embodiments in which the ice maker is not arranged in the door but in the cooling compartment itself, it is nevertheless achieved that the access to the cooling compartment with the first door open is improved.
In a particularly advantageous manner, it is provided that the multiple-joint hinge is an at least 4-joint hinge and the mechanism has at least four pivot points.
It is provided in particular that the multiple-joint hinge is an at least 7-joint hinge and that the mechanism has seven pivot points. In complex multiple-joint hinges of this type, the individual joint arms can very advantageously be so coupled that during the movement sequence and thus during the pivoting movement of the door, minimal structural space is required and the linear displacement of the rotation axis in the width direction is nevertheless also precisely achieved. Since particularly with such complex movement sequences which, beside the pivoting movement also effectively enable a linear movement, at least vectorially considered, and thus enable a displacement of the rotation axis, in addition, particularly in domestic refrigeration appliances with such relatively heavy doors, the mechanical robustness is an essential aspect. This is enabled, in particular, with such many-jointed hinges, wherein particularly when the hinge is intrinsically mechanically stable and robust and enables the complex movement sequences, even of the individual hinge arms relative to one another precisely and lastingly. This is fulfilled to a particular degree especially in a multiple-joint hinge which is a 7-joint hinge.
It is provided in a particularly advantageous manner that the mechanism of the multiple-joint hinge is configured such that in particular, the complete displacement of the rotation axis in the width direction takes place only in a pre-determined angular interval of the overall pivot movement of the first door. The mechanism that is formed by the number of hinge arms is particularly preferably provided in this embodiment in such a way, and the hinge arms are coupled such that effectively on a first movement component wherein the door is opened from a closed position, therefore only one pivot movement takes place about the then still fixed rotation axis and only during a further movement component which is then defined by the pre-determined angular interval along the pivot movement from an achieved opening angle of the door, in addition to the pivoting and therefore rotary movement, a linear movement takes place in which the local displacement of the rotation axis takes place. With such an embodiment in which this displacement of the rotation axis in the width direction takes place over a partial interval of the whole movement travel during the pivoting movement of the first door, the complexity of the structure of the multiple-joint hinge can be reduced.
It is provided, in particular, that this angular interval lies between 85° and 120°, particularly between 90° and 115°, of the entire angular interval over which the door can move. This angular interval is dimensioned, starting from the closed position in which the door is arranged at 0°, and thus the lower interval limit gives the opening angle from which, along the further opening route, the linear displacement then also takes place. The displacement of this rotation axis in the width direction thus takes place only with a relatively widely opened door and over a relatively small angular interval compared with the overall movement possibility and therefore relative to the whole angular interval over which the door can move. This is also advantageous in that the movement process of the door taking place up to this angular interval does not change or is not impaired and only when the door is relatively wide open and is practically oriented essentially with its front side in the depth direction, then a further displacement takes place outwardly, so that here particularly in this angular interval and starting from the then already achieved position of the door, the lateral displacement predominates as compared with the further rotary movement.
A further independent aspect of the invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a cooling compartment is provided, which is closable by a first door movably arranged on the housing. The domestic refrigeration appliance further contains a dispensing unit which is configured for the output of liquid and/or molded ice elements. The dispensing unit contains an output unit and an ice maker wherein both the output unit and also the ice maker are arranged on the first door itself and are therefore arranged internally in the door. Furthermore, the domestic refrigeration appliance contains a water-conducting assembly with which water is conductable to the dispensing unit. The water-conducting assembly has at least one valve which is configured, in particular, to pass the water which is fed to the water-conducting assembly, in particular, externally to the appliance, in dosed manner to the output unit and/or the ice maker. This at least one valve is arranged on the first door itself and thus represents a component internal to the door. In particular, it is provided that the water-conducting assembly has two separate valves wherein by means of one valve, the conduit route to the output unit and by means of the other valve, the conduit route to the ice maker is provided. Further components of the water-conducting assembly are arranged, in particular, in a machine space of the domestic refrigeration appliance. Between these further components of the water-conducting assembly in the machine space and the at least one valve, a feed conduit is provided which is laid via a hinge with which the first door is pivotably arranged on the housing of the domestic refrigeration appliance. Even if two valves are provided, arranged internally to the first door, only a single such common feed conduit is laid from the machine space via the hinge of the door to the two valves. A separate connecting conduit is then laid from each of the two valves between the valve and the output unit, on one side, and the other valve and the ice maker.
Advantageous embodiments of one independent aspect of the invention are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of a further independent aspect of the invention.
The stipulations “above”, “below”, “in front”, “behind”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “depth direction”, “width direction”, “height direction”, etc., indicate positions and orientations on proper use and proper arrangement of the appliance and with an observer positioned in front of the device and looking in the direction of the device.
Further features and embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the claims, the drawings and the description of the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned in the description above and the following features and combinations of features in the description of the drawings and/or shown in the drawings alone are usable not only in the respective combination given, but also in other combinations without departing from the scope of the invention. Embodiments of the invention which are not explicitly shown in the figures and described, but which arise and can be created through separate combinations of features from the embodiments described can therefore also be considered to be included and disclosed. Embodiments and combinations of features can also be regarded as disclosed which therefore do not have all the features of an originally formulated independent claim. Furthermore, embodiments and combinations of features are to be regarded as disclosed, in particular by the embodiments disclosed above which go beyond or deviate from the combinations of features represented by the references in the claims.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a domestic refrigeration appliance with a cooling compartment and a freezing compartment and with a dispensing unit accessible through a hole in an additional component of a door, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
In the figures, the same or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters.
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to
It is also provided that the cooling compartment 3 is closable by the one door 4. The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 further contains a front-side panel-shaped additional part which is configured, in particular, as a furniture front panel and which is arranged on a front side of the door 4 and is configured covering it over the extent of the surface. The additional part 7 covers this front surface of the door 4 practically completely and has only one hole 8 through which a niche 9 of a dispensing unit 10 is accessible. The dispensing unit 10 is configured for the output of liquid and/or molded ice elements and is a component of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1.
Additionally, a further furniture front panel is provided as an additional part 11 which is arranged on the front side of the door 6 and covers this front side or front surface entirely. The two additional parts 7 and 11 are separate components.
The domestic refrigeration appliances 1 are configured, in particular, as built-in appliances and can thus be arranged in an installation niche of a furniture wall. A built-in appliance is also characterized, in particular and as is generally the case, in that it has fastening devices for a separate covering part such as a furniture front panel and/or fastening devices for fastening the domestic refrigeration appliance to delimiting walls of an installation niche and/or side walls and/or a roof wall of the housing 2 are formed as panels made of paperboard. A proper arrangement of the built-in appliance requires, in particular, installation in an installation niche.
The dispensing unit 10 further contains an output unit 15 which is provided in the door 4a. By means of the output unit 15, the liquid and/or molded ice elements can be output into the niche 9 in which a receiving vessel can be placed.
By means of a first valve 19, water is conducted, in particular, to the output unit 15 in order to be able to output the relevant liquid there, for example as a drink or a mixed drink. For this purpose, a dedicated conduit 20 is provided which extends between the valve 19 and the output unit 15.′
Particularly when the dispensing unit 10 is also configured for the output of molded ice elements and has the ice maker 12, a second valve 21 is provided which in the exemplary embodiment is preferably also arranged on the door 4a, in particular if the ice maker 12 is also arranged in the door 4a. The same applies if the whole dispensing unit 10 is arranged with the ice maker 12 and the output unit 15 in the door 4 of the exemplary embodiment according to
It is advantageous in an embodiment of this type that a conduit 23 which extends between the components of the water-conducting assembly 18 in the machine space 17 and the valves 19 and 21 arranged on the door 4a is configured merely as a single feed conduit. The conduit 23 is laid from the machine space 17 via a hinge 24 (
In the embodiment of
In
As shown here, the dispensing unit 10 extends at least with the output unit 15 and preferably also with the ice maker 12 in the door 4, 4a. By this means, there results a protruding receptacle 27 locally on the rear side 25, in which the dispensing unit 10 is arranged. Due to a required thermal insulating effect of the door 4, 4a, a suitable structure in the depth direction (z-direction) is needed and thermal insulating material 28 is required between the components of the dispensing unit 10 and a rearward delimiting wall region of the rear side 25. Precisely when, but not only when, the dispensing unit 10 is arranged both with the output unit 15 and also the ice maker 13 in the door 4, 4a, there therefore results a corresponding build-up in the depth direction.
The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 contains, in particular, an adjusting device 29 as shown symbolically in the enlarged illustration in
In particular, the adjusting device 29 contains at least one adjusting element 30, preferably a plurality of such adjusting elements 30, as shown symbolically in
It can be provided that the adjusting device 29 contains at least two such adjusting elements 30 which are arranged at different sites and enable a very continuous and finely adjusted position displacement in at least two spatial directions. The adjusting device 29 can be configured, in particular, as a purely mechanical adjusting device.
As indicated above, the door 4, 4a is arranged pivotable on the housing 2 by means, in particular, of two hinges 24. For this purpose, a vertical rotation axis A is provided which therefore extends in the height direction. The hinges 24 are configured, in particular, as at least 7-joint hinges and each have a mechanism 35 (
For this purpose, it is provided, in particular, that the mechanism 35 is configured such that the displacement of the door 4, 4a in the width direction takes place only in a pre-determined angular interval of the overall pivot movement of the door 4, 4a. In particular, it is provided that this angular interval is between 85° and 120°, in particular between 90° and 115°, wherein the lower interval limit of this angular interval represents an opening angle of the door 4, 4a which is measured starting from the closed position of the door 4, 4a as shown in
In
In all the exemplary embodiments, it can also be provided that a pedestal 37 is also present (
The mechanism 35 of the multiple-joint hinge contains, in particular, seven separate joint arms which are joined to one another in articulate manner so that the hinge 24 has seven rotation points. The rotation axis A in question can relate in this regard to a central axis of the hinge 24 or can additionally or alternatively relate to a specific point of the door 4, 4a, for example, the corner point 36, wherein here also other points of the door 4, 4a can be used as reference points for this position change. By means of the hinge 24, therefore, not only a pivot movement alone, but also a pivot-displacement movement or a rotation-linear movement can be pre-determined as a coupled movement for the movement sequence of the door 4, 4a.
The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102016214839.7 | Aug 2016 | DE | national |
