Patent Application
20170122651
The invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a receiving chamber for foodstuffs is formed. The receiving chamber is delimited by walls of an interior container. Formed in the receiving chamber is an additional compartment for foodstuffs comprising delimiting walls by means of which a receiving volume of the additional compartment is delimited. The invention also relates to a method for the formation of an additional compartment of this kind.
With household refrigeration appliances for storing foodstuffs, such as, for example, a fridge or a freezer or combined fridge-freezer, it is known that the corresponding receiving chamber, which can be a cooling compartment or a freezing compartment, can be divided by insertable horizontal plates, which can be compartment bottoms. It is then possible to place foodstuffs on these compartment bottoms. However, compartment bottoms of this kind do not form an individual, per se delimited additional compartment in the receiving chamber, instead the actual receiving chamber is divided into partial regions that are still interconnected and not completely separated from one another.
Also known is the embodiment of a per se separate additional compartment in a receiving chamber of this kind, which can, for example, be a keep-fresh compartment. This specific additional compartment is delimited by walls so that the receiving volume of this additional compartment is defined per se and closed. However, with known embodiments of additional compartments of this kind, said compartments are prespecified and formed in the receiving chamber.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a domestic refrigeration appliance and a method in which or with which an additional compartment of this kind can be provided in accordance with requirements.
This object is achieved by a domestic refrigeration appliance and a method as claimed in the independent claims.
A domestic refrigeration appliance according to the invention comprises a housing in which a receiving chamber for foodstuffs is formed. This receiving chamber is delimited by walls of an interior container. An additional compartment for foodstuffs comprising delimiting walls or outer walls is formed in the receiving chamber. A receiving volume of the additional compartment is delimited by these delimiting walls and is hence delimited by at least one delimiting wall on all the sides determining the geometry of the additional compartment. This receiving volume of the additional compartment is hence in particular delimited on all sides and hence also completely delimited from the remaining volume of the receiving chamber.
An essential concept of the invention can be seen in that these delimiting walls of the additional compartment can be separated and joined non-destructively thus enabling the additional compartment to be assembled and disassembled reversibly in the receiving chamber. This embodiment substantially increases the usability of the additional compartment and hence also renders it more flexible and variable. This possibility of simple dismantling possibly followed by re-assembly increases the usability of the additional compartment. When not required, it can be disassembled simply and quickly thus enabling the space that is then freed up in the receiving chamber to be used for other purposes. However, when required, the additional compartment can be quickly assembled and form a per se in particular completely enclosed receiving volume defined by the delimiting walls. This also increases the usability of the entire domestic refrigeration appliance and the receiving chamber can be flexible and user-specific.
The number of delimiting walls comprised by the additional compartment is such that, regardless of its geometry, each side of this geometry is at least one delimiting wall and hence the additional compartment is formed with at least one delimiting wall on each of these sides of the geometry and hence the receiving volume is correspondingly delimited.
The additional compartment is arranged separately to a door, which closes the receiving chamber, in the receiving chamber. Therefore, the additional part is not arranged on the door.
In one preferred embodiment, it is provided that the additional compartment is a keep-fresh compartment in which an atmospheric humidity different to that in the receiving chamber and/or a temperature different to that in the receiving chamber can be set selectively. Hence, an embodiment of this kind can provide an individual zone in the receiving chamber in which storage conditions for foodstuffs different to those in the remaining volume of the receiving chamber can be set. This enables different foodstuffs to be stored in accordance with requirements and hence their individual storage life and freshness to be maintained for longer.
In one particularly advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the additional compartment can be assembled at a first defined position in the receiving chamber or at at least one further second defined position different from the first position in the receiving chamber. Such positional flexibility is advantageous with respect to ease of access to the additional compartment and to then remaining partial volume of the receiving chamber. This enables users to satisfy their requirements and to individualize the positional embodiment of the additional compartment. This may possibly also achieve ergonomic advantages with respect to ease of access and hence to the stocking of the additional compartment and also with respect to the removal of foodstuffs therefrom. Moreover, this embodiment also enables the additional compartment to be assembled at different positions depending on the situation in question. Then, either the first position or the second position may be more advantageous for the additional compartment in dependence on the foodstuffs that are to be stored in the remaining volume of the receiving chamber and, for example, in dependence on the quantity and/or size of these foodstuffs. Hence, a user is able to react with utmost flexibility even in these individual situations. In practice, this has substantial advantages over embodiments with which the manufacturer specifies an additional compartment in one single fixed position in the receiving chamber and the position of this additional compartment cannot be changed.
It can also be provided that, in its assembled state and hence in the state arranged in the receiving chamber, the additional compartment can be moved from the first position into the second position, in particular can be pushed as a whole, and/or moved from the second position into the first position. With an embodiment of this kind, there is then no need for a dismantling process or disassembly process for the additional compartment followed by assembly at a different position, instead a selective change to the position of the additional compartment can be performed simply and quickly.
In this case, it can in particular be provided that mechanical coupling means are present on the inner sides of the interior container and/or on delimiting walls of the additional compartment to enable a positional change of this kind, in particular a displacement. For example, these can be runners that engage in corresponding recesses or grooves.
With delimiting walls of the additional compartment, it can generally be provided that these walls comprise coupling means so that the delimiting walls can be connected mechanically to one another, wherein these coupling means can be detached non-destructively. In this context, it is possible for plug-in connections or latching connections to be provided. Alternatively, it is also possible for other connecting means to be provided. At specific points, it can also be provided that delimiting walls of the additional compartment only directly abut one another, for example abut one another via a sealing element, so that then no specific mechanical connecting means are provided in this case.
Advantageously, it is provided that the position at which the additional compartment can be assembled in the receiving chamber can be selected in dependence on which wall of the interior container is to embody which locally specific delimiting wall of the additional compartment. It is provided that the additional compartment is not exclusively assembled from separate delimiting walls, but, for example, at least one delimiting wall is formed by a wall of the interior container and in dependence thereon the position of the additional compartment in the receiving chamber is preferably such that this wall of the interior container also provides the envisaged delimiting wall of the additional compartment. An embodiment of this kind can then enable at least one separate delimiting wall of the additional compartment to be dispensed with and hence the overall number of components of the domestic refrigeration appliance can be reduced.
It is preferably provided that the position of the additional compartment in the receiving chamber is arranged above the second position in the height-wise direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance. As a result, the additional compartment can be formed further up or further down in the vertical direction thus, depending on the position of the domestic refrigeration appliance, if necessary this also enables an advantageous height to be established individually for a user of the additional compartment. If, for example, the domestic refrigeration appliance is a free-standing appliance and hence stands on the floor, another individual height position of the additional compartment can be advantageous for a user compared to when the domestic refrigeration appliance is a built-in appliance and has to be installed at a certain height in an installation niche. In order also to be able to take account of these requirements and circumstances on a highly individual basis, this possibility of assembly at at least two different positions in the additional compartment is particularly advantageous.
It is preferably provided that the additional compartment comprises as separate delimiting walls a front wall, a bottom wall, a top wall, a rear wall and side walls. With this embodiment, the additional compartment is hence in particular parallel epipedal or cuboid in shape.
It is in particular provided that the additional compartment comprises at least one further separate delimiting wall, which is arranged in the receiving volume. This further separate delimiting wall is in particular a partition wall with which the receiving volume of the additional compartment can be separated into at least two partial volumes. This again enables the additional compartment itself to be configured individually and hence functionality to be increased. The then at least two individually configurable partial volumes then in turn also enable individual storage conditions to be set for foodstuffs to be inserted therein. Advantageously, this partition wall can be inserted in and removed again from the receiving volume in a non-destructively detachable manner so that, in this case, once again very high flexibility is achieved with respect to the embodiment in the interior.
It is advantageously provided that the partition wall is a thermal insulation wall. This has the result that the partial volumes can be thermally insulated from one another so that it is once again possible to set the different storage conditions in the partial volume without the respective other partial volume being influenced in an undesirable way.
In this context, it is then also possible to enable different temperatures and/or different atmospheric humidity values to be set in the partial volume.
It is preferably provided that the partition wall comprises at least one flow duct with which cold air can be guided from outside of the additional compartment into the receiving volume of the additional compartment. This enables particularly advantageous storage conditions to be set with cool temperatures, preferably above freezing point, which is particularly advantageous for fruit and vegetables, and also, for example for fish, and maintains the storage life of these foodstuffs and the freshness of these foodstuffs for longer.
It is in particular provided that the additional compartment comprises as a separate delimiting wall a frame with a feed-through opening with said frame forming a front wall of the additional compartment. This is a further very advantageous embodiment since this also enables further components to be introduced into the additional compartment, for example a drawer, which is able to receive foodstuffs. This drawer can then be simply pushed over the frame formed as a front wall and hence extends through the feed-through opening into the receiving volume of the additional compartment. It is then in particular provided that, in completely pushed-in state, a drawer of this kind or a corresponding container abuts the frame and in this respect the feed-through opening is then covered by the drawer, in particular a front wall of the drawer. With an embodiment of this kind, then in particular a completely enclosed receiving volume of the additional compartment is also provided.
It is advantageously provided that the frame comprises at least two separate feed-through openings. This is then particularly advantageous if a partition wall, as mentioned above, is also present. Individual separate drawers or containers can then be introduced into the respective partial volumes of the receiving volumes of the additional compartment through the respective feed-through openings. This enables two drawers to be arranged next to one another and preferably at the same height when viewed in the width-wise direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance. They are then very easy to access and stocking and removal are possible in a very user-friendly manner.
It is preferably provided that the additional compartment comprises at least one receiving drawer for foodstuffs, which is arranged so that it can be pushed in and pulled out of the receiving volume formed by the delimiting walls through the feed-through opening. This enables foodstuffs to be inserted and removed from the additional compartment in a particularly simple manner. It is not necessary to remove any of the delimiting walls completely in order to access the receiving volume. The simple and user-friendly movement of only the receiving drawer enables the removal of the foodstuffs contained in the receiving drawer or the introduction of corresponding foodstuffs into the receiving drawer in a very simple manner.
It is in particular provided that a sealing element surrounding a feed-through opening is arranged on a front side of the frame on which the receiving drawer lies in pushed-in state. This is a further advantageous embodiment, since this means that, not only are the feed-through openings covered on the front side by a front wall of the receiving drawer in pushed-in state, but also unwanted escape of atmospheric humidity is prevented in this case. On the other hand, it is also possible to reduce any temperature alignment between the in particular colder receiving volume of the additional compartment and the remaining partial volume of the receiving chamber at least to a significant extent.
Advantageously, the frame is pushed into separate holding rods on opposite sides. As a result, the frame is accurately positioned and held in a stable manner. This results in reversible attachment and removal once again in a particularly simple manner and, even with frequent mounting and dismantling of the frame, wear is avoided so that, even with frequent mounting and dismantling, wobble-free seating of the frame on the holding rods is enabled. Moreover, this method of attaching the frame enables very quick mounting and dismantling, which is also very simple to perform.
It is preferably provided that a delimiting wall is a wall of the interior container or a compartment floor, which is arranged in the receiving chamber so that it can be non-destructively detached and divides the receiving chamber.
A further aspect of the invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a receiving chamber for foodstuffs is formed, wherein this receiving chamber is delimited by walls of an interior container. Formed in the receiving chamber, is an additional compartment for foodstuffs comprising delimiting walls by means of which a receiving volume of the additional compartment is delimited. In particular, with this aspect it is provided that the additional compartment can be assembled at a defined first position in the receiving chamber or at at least one further second defined position in the receiving chamber. The advantages achievable thereby were already mentioned above. It can in particular be provided that in each case fastening means for one or more delimiting walls of the additional compartment are provided on walls of the interior container for these two defined positions.
Embodiments of the first aspect of the invention should be considered to be advantageous embodiments of this further aspect of the invention.
A further independent aspect of the invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing in which a receiving chamber for foodstuffs delimited by walls of an interior container is formed. Formed in the receiving chamber is an additional compartment for foodstuffs comprising delimiting walls by means of which a receiving volume of the additional compartment is delimited. An essential concept of this aspect of the invention can be seen in that the additional compartment comprises at least one further separate delimiting wall, which is a partition wall with which the receiving volume of the additional compartment can be separated into at least two partial volumes. The partition wall can be formed as one piece or multiple pieces.
This enables individual zones to be formed in the additional compartment in which different storage conditions for foodstuffs can be set.
The invention also relates to a method for the embodiment of an additional compartment for receiving foodstuffs in a receiving chamber for foodstuffs of a domestic refrigeration appliance. With the method, separate delimiting walls from which the additional compartment are assembled are provided and the delimiting walls are arranged in the receiving chamber such that a receiving volume of the additional compartment is formed. Therefore, the receiving volume is delimited on all geometric sides by a delimiting wall at least in regions. The receiving volume is in particular completely delimited by the delimiting walls on the periphery. The delimiting walls are connected so that they can be non-destructively detached so that the additional compartment can be reversibly dismantled again and re-assembled. The advantages achievable thereby were also cited above in the depiction of the different aspects of the domestic refrigeration appliance.
In particular, a first defined installation position is specified in the receiving chamber at which the additional compartment can be assembled in a modular manner and at least one second defined installation position different from the first position is specified at which the additional compartment can be assembled in a modular manner.
Therefore, the additional compartment with its delimiting walls is provided so-to-speak as an assembly kit that can be installed at different positions in the receiving chamber.
Therefore, it is in principle also possible to offer the additional compartment as an add-on kit so that users of a domestic refrigeration appliance can procure this add-on kit at a later date if they require an additional compartment of this kind.
The additional compartment is formed as a keep-fresh compartment in which a different temperature and/or a different atmospheric humidity compared to the remaining volume of the receiving chamber can be set or is set. To this end, the domestic refrigeration appliance in particular comprises an adjusting apparatus.
The additional compartment can comprise one or more air ducts with which cold and/or moist air can be introduced into the additional compartment.
It is in particular provided that the additional compartment is arranged in a receiving chamber of the domestic refrigeration appliance formed as a chiller compartment such that it can be reversibly assembled and disassembled again in a non-destructive manner. In particular, in this receiving chamber formed as a chiller compartment, the domestic refrigeration appliance comprises at least one further receiving chamber which is in particular formed as a freezer compartment. Viewed in the vertical direction, and hence in the height-wise direction of the domestic refrigeration appliance, the chiller compartment is preferably formed above the chiller compartment. The chiller compartment can be closed by one single door, but can also be closed by two pivotable doors arranged next to one another. The freezer compartment can be closed by a further door separate thereto, wherein the doors represent front components of the domestic refrigeration appliance and in closed state extend particularly preferably in one plane.
It can be provided that a delimiting wall of the additional compartment representing a floor of the additional compartment is formed by a floor of the interior container. This can be provided in a specific first position or a corresponding first installation position of the additional compartment in the receiving chamber. If namely, the additional compartment is formed so-to-speak right at the bottom in the receiving chamber in the height-wise direction, it is advantageous for a wall of the interior container of this kind which is already present, namely the floor, also to be used as the floor for the additional compartment.
Correspondingly, when another installation position different thereto is provided in the upper region of the receiving chamber, it can then be provided that a roof of the interior container is used as the top wall of the additional compartment.
If on the other hand, an installation position of the additional compartment is provided at a distance from the roof and the floor of the interior container, it is, for example, possible for a wall that is otherwise used as a the compartment floor that can be inserted in the height-wise direction in the receiving chamber between the roof and the floor of the interior container to be used as a roof of the additional compartment. With an embodiment of this kind, it is then, on the one hand, possible for the additional compartment to be upper-delimited by this separate delimiting wall, on the other hand, it is also possible for another storage material to be placed thereupon.
If a chiller compartment and a freezer compartment are formed in one single interior container and separated from one another by a thermally insulated partition wall, this thermally insulated partition wall of the interior container can also be a top wall or a bottom wall of the additional compartment.
In one embodiment of the invention, the additional compartment extends over the entire width of the receiving chamber. However, it can also be provided that this additional compartment only extends over a partial width of the receiving chamber, for example over a half, a third, or three-quarters of this width of the receiving chamber. This width of the receiving chamber extends between the opposite vertical side walls of the interior container. It can be provided that the above-cited embodiment with which the additional compartment comprises a partition wall as a further separate delimiting wall with which the receiving volume of the additional compartment can be divided into at least two separate partial volumes comprises a plurality of air ducts which, on the one hand, feed into the first partial volume and, on the other hand, into the second partial volume.
The terms “up”, “down”, “front”, “rear, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “depth-wise direction”, “width-wise direction”, “height-wise direction” refer to the positions and orientation with use as specified and the arrangement as specified of the appliance and with a observer standing in particular in front of the appliance looking in the direction of the appliance.
Further features of the invention are apparent from the claims, the figures and the description of the figures. The features and feature combinations cited above in the description and the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and/or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations without leaving the scope of invention. Hence, embodiments of the invention that are not explicitly shown and explained in the figures but are derived from separated feature combinations from the embodiments explained and may be generated thereby should also be considered as being comprised and disclosed by the invention. Hence, embodiments and feature combinations which do not comprise all the features of an originally worded independent claim should also be considered to be disclosed. Moreover, embodiments and feature combinations, in particular in the above-described embodiments, which extend beyond or deviate from the feature combinations described in the back-references in the claims should also be considered to be disclosed.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to schematic drawings, which show:
In the figures, the same elements or elements with the same functions are given the same reference numbers.
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).
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 (
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 (
The delimiting walls of the additional compartment 16 are formed so that they can be non-destructively detached and 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.
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.
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.
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.
In this case, the additional compartment 16 comprises as a separate delimiting wall a top wall 18, as shown in
As can also be identified in
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.
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.
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.
Receiving drawers 24 and 25, as shown in
It can also be provided that at least one receiving drawer 24 and/or 25 comprises a lid 28 (
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
Formed in the partition wall 30, are in particular one or more air ducts, wherein the air ducts feed into a rear edge 30a.
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.
The frame 21 is in particular formed in one piece, in particular made of plastic.
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.
In
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 (
To this end,
In
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.
Once again, with this embodiment, a floor 43 of the interior container 15 is the floor of the chiller compartment 4.
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
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
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.
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.
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. 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
The insulating bodies 54 and 55 preferably are each configured as flat pareliepipeds 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 31a.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102015221440.0 | Nov 2015 | DE | national |
| 102016220444.0 | Oct 2016 | DE | national |
