This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/076595 filed 4 Dec. 2014, which designated the U.S. and claims priority to DE Patent Application No. 10 2013 225 649.3 filed 11 Dec. 2013, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance with a housing, in which an inner container which delimits an inner chamber for holding food is arranged. The domestic refrigeration appliance also comprises a machine chamber, which is separate from the inner chamber and in which components of a refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration appliance are arranged.
A refrigeration circuit is provided in a domestic refrigeration appliance, for example a refrigerator, a freezer or a combined refrigerator/freezer. It generally comprises a refrigerant compressor, which is connected to a condenser, the refrigerant compressor being arranged in a machine chamber. The machine chamber here is generally configured in a lower rear region of the domestic refrigeration appliance.
For evaporation outside the chilling region of the domestic refrigeration appliance it is known to collect the thawed water and utilize the waste heat from the compressor present to evaporate it. To this end the thawed water is collected in a collector arranged above the compressor, said collector also being arranged in the machine chamber. The waste heat from the refrigerant compressor heats the thawed water, thereby accelerating evaporation.
Such a configuration is known from DE 10 2011 006 606 A1. Provision is also made there for a collection tray arranged in an upper region of the refrigerant compressor to have a defined overflow for holding and evaporating thawed water. Water overflowing from the collection tray is then conducted away by this into an additional tray positioned below the refrigerant compressor, thus allowing a greater volume to be collected.
Arrangements with a compressor and an evaporation tray are also known from DE 10 2008 041 558 A1 and DE 20 2006 005 552 U1. Only one tray is provided at the respective height level in each of the known embodiments.
Electric cables provided to control and supply energy to corresponding components, for example also the refrigerant compressor and other parts, are also required in the arrangements.
It is the object of the present invention to simplify the incorporation of components in the machine chamber in respect of assembly outlay, while still ensuring reliable and secure retention.
This object is achieved by a domestic refrigeration appliance which has the features according to claim 1.
An inventive domestic refrigeration appliance comprises a housing, in which an inner container is arranged. The inner container delimits an inner chamber for holding food. The domestic refrigeration appliance also comprises a machine chamber, which is separate from the inner chamber and in which at least components of a refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration appliance are arranged. One important concept of the invention is that a carrier tray is arranged in the machine chamber, on which carrier tray at least one further part is held in a connecting manner by at least one snap connection and/or at least one plug-in connection and/or at least one locking connection, with the connecting retention here also being configured without additional fastening elements. This produces a configuration, in which the fastening of a further part on such a carrier rail is configured by one or more snap connections and/or by one or more plug-in connections and/or by one or more locking connections, but with no further additional separate fastening elements then also being required and present. Fastening is therefore effected in each instance in particular only by way of at least one snap connection and/or only at least by way of a plug-in connection and/or by way of only at least one locking connection and also without further additional separate fastening elements.
This significantly reduces assembly outlay and therefore also reduces the number of parts. Fitting and dismantling can take place more quickly while still achieving and allowing at least the same mechanical retention of the part on the carrier tray.
Provision is preferably made for the carrier tray to have a base in which at least one locking mount is configured for a locking connection. Such a locking mount integrated in the base allows fast and assembly-friendly fastening of the further part. The resulting force of the weight of the further part then maintains the locking connection produced in a positively supporting manner.
Provision is preferably made for the carrier tray to have channels that are C-shaped in cross section on upper edge faces of side walls, with gaps for plug-in connections configured in said channels. These side walls are in particular longitudinal side walls. Such a specific shaping of upper edge faces makes the carrier tray extremely stable and also highly torsion-resistant. As a result it serves particularly preferably for the purpose of mechanical coupling with a further part at said points. Because gaps are configured in said channels in practice, corresponding cover elements can extend therein and are thus also retained in a permanently stable manner. The plug-in connection is particularly advantageous precisely at such a locationally specific point and therefore in the upper region of the carrier tray on such a specific edge face profile. This improves access for a fitter and also achieves lateral fixing action. Gaps are therefore preferably slits in said longitudinal side walls, in which plug-in elements of the further part can be inserted preferably with an orientation perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the carrier tray. This allows both lateral securing and also similarly advantageous axial securing perpendicular thereto and thus securing in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the carrier tray.
Provision is preferably made for the part to have a connection to the carrier tray at two points at least. This further favors mechanically stable retention and positional fixing on the carrier tray. At least two separate mechanical connections can be provided here on upper edge faces, in particular opposing parallel upper edge faces in relation to the longitudinal axis of the carrier tray. Also a mechanical coupling of the further part to the carrier tray can be provided on both such an upper edge face and the base of the carrier tray. This allows a wide range of connection designs to be achieved, so that differently dimensioned and configured further parts can be locked and anchored in the carrier tray in the best possible manner specifically for their size and/or weight and/or shape.
Provision is preferably made for the further part to have a connection to the carrier tray at two points at least, the advantages that can thus be achieved having been set out above.
Provision is preferably made for a first part to be fastened to a base of the carrier tray with a first connection type, in particular a locking connection, and to a longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray with a second connection type, in particular a plug-in connection. This is an advantageous embodiment, particularly when the carrier tray is configured smaller in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and thus in a direction extending between the upper edge faces than such a distance between the two edge faces. Provision is thus made in particular for the first part, when connected to the carrier tray, to have a dimension in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the carrier tray that is smaller than a distance between two longitudinal faces in the carrier tray. A further part thus dimensioned is therefore also fastened more securely to the carrier tray.
Provision is preferably made for a first part to be an operating capacitor housing which therefore holds a capacitor of the refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration appliance. The housing therefore represents a unit for holding said capacitor.
Provision is preferably made for a second part to be fastened to a first longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray with a first connection type, which is preferably a snap connection, and to be connected to a second longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray with a second connection type, which is preferably a plug-in connection. The snap connection and the plug-in connection are different connection types. Provision is made in particular here for a snap connection to be defined in that a snap element is arranged in a movable manner on a further part that can be positioned on the carrier tray, in particular in such a manner that it can be rotated and pivoted in relation thereto about a rotation axis. The completion of such a rotational movement causes it to snap into a snap mount on the carrier tray.
A plug-in connection is defined in particular in that a plug-in element is inserted into a plug-in mount but is not locked or snapped into it, retention simply being brought about by such insertion and plugging in.
In contrast a locking connection is defined in that when the locking element and a locking mount are inserted into one another between the carrier tray and the further part, retention is produced by any kind of engagement and/or hooking behind.
Provision is preferably made for a part to be fastened to the carrier tray to be connected to the carrier tray by means of a snap connection, it having a pivotable snap element which engages in a channel of C-shaped cross section configured on an upper edge face of the longitudinal side wall of the carrier tray, thus snapping into the hollow space formed by the C shape. This anchors the snap element particularly effectively, as the C shape also allows said channel to have a certain flexibility for the purpose of deformation, thereby also allowing a certain form-fit engagement of the snap element in said C shape, which is then formed in such a manner in cross section that the snap element is also enclosed by said C shape of the channel in the manner of a clamp in a region engaging in the channel.
Provision is preferably made for a snap element to have at least one integral plug-in element for a plug-in connection. Such an embodiment then offers both a snap connection and a plug-in connection in an integral dual form, thus allowing particularly reliable connection and retention for individual parts, it being possible also to establish and release such connection and retention in a very assembly-friendly manner.
Provision is preferably made for a second part to be a water stop unit or a collection and evaporation tray for thawed water or an electronic unit or a compressor of a refrigeration circuit of the domestic refrigeration appliance.
The proposed design of the mechanical connection of further parts to such a carrier tray in the machine chamber of the domestic refrigeration appliance allows both very large parts and also smaller parts to be retained therein in a reliable and positionally secure manner by means of a simple and fast fitting operation.
For large parts a 180° curvature of the carrier tray is preferably used front and back, being configured in particular on the upper edge faces and being formed by the preferably C shape. The hollow space in said curvature preferably serves as an insertion option for feet of the parts housings to be incorporated. The position is thus predefined vertically and horizontally and also in a forward and rearward direction. Essentially recesses are arranged with gaps on said C-shaped edge faces of the carrier tray, allowing perpendicular ribs on the feet of the parts to be fitted to enter therein. The incorporation position is thus defined practically during assembly in a self-centering manner and the correct orientation of the part to be fitted in the carrier tray is automatically achieved, as provision is also preferably made for the possible connections to be configured in such a manner that a quite specific position can be provided in each instance for a part to be fitted so that just one specific fitting operation is possible here too. Incorrect orientation or arrangement of a part in an incorrect position on the carrier tray is prevented as a result so that the possible connections also allow a sort of assembly coding.
Such recesses or gaps are preferably positioned in such a manner that a number of parts can be fitted depending on use. In one advantageous embodiment a front foot of a part is preferably supported in a movable manner and above a rotation axis in the receiving housing, with a snap element, as defined above, being configured in particular as a result.
In the case of an electronic housing or an electronic unit to be fitted as a part on the carrier tray or an evaporation tray, a snap connection is provided for such a foot in its assembly position.
Provision is also made for the housing of said parts then to be fitted by spreading the front and rear feet out between the front and rear 180° curvature or C shape of the carrier tray.
The preferred type of option for form fit and force fit depends on the requirements of the configurations. Provision can also be made in the case of an electronic unit and/or an evaporation tray for further securing in that a snap connection has to be disassembled using a tool, for example a screwdriver for unlocking purposes. Provision can be made in the case of a water stop unit for a connection also to be released with such a screwdriver for disassembly.
In the case of small parts, for example an operating capacitor as cited by way of example, only one of these specifically shaped edge faces of the carrier tray is used in particular for mechanical coupling. Gaps in the curvature or C-shaped configuration of the upper edge face then also preferably serve here as an insertion option for a lower foot or a plug-in element of the housing to be incorporated. For the rear region of said housing the position is then defined vertically and horizontally in a rearward direction. In the case of a housing foot a perpendicular rib then preferably defines the incorporation position here too by entering the recess in the carrier rail, in particular a locking mount in a base, and fixes the horizontal position to the left and right in relation to the two faces opposite a longitudinal axis of the carrier tray.
A front foot of said housing is preferably embodied as a box-type element in a lead-in chamfer. This makes threading into a counter mount easier and assembly is more user-friendly.
The box projecting through an opening or a locking mount in the carrier tray defines the horizontal incorporation position in the front region of the housing and also provides retention forward and rearward in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the carrier tray. Corresponding retention is then also achieved perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.
A front wall of the box is preferably interrupted and forms a movable snap hook. Together with the box of the front foot resting on the carrier tray, this snap hook or snap element then fixes the vertical position in the front region of the housing.
Provision is preferably made for a snap hook or a snap element of the further part to lock into a second slit-type opening in particular a locking mount integrated in the base, in the carrier tray in the event of tensile load. This prevents the snap connection being released.
Provision is preferably made for lateral support ribs to ensure compensation for manufacturing tolerances in respect of position fixing so that the housing of the part to be incorporated cannot generate vibration noise.
Further features of the invention will emerge from the claims, figures and description of the figures. The features and feature combinations cited above in the description and the features and feature combinations cited below in the description of the figures and/or simply illustrated in the figures can be used not only in the combination specified in each instance but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention. Embodiments of the invention that are not described and illustrated specifically in the figures but emerge and can be produced from the described embodiments by means of separate feature combinations should therefore also be considered to be included and disclosed.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings, in which:
In the figures identical elements or those of identical function are shown with identical reference characters.
By way of example the lower inner chamber 4 is closed by a door 5. The upper inner chamber 3 is shown without such a door to allow a view into it, even though such a door is actually present on the domestic refrigeration appliance 1.
The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 can be a refrigerator or a freezer or a combined refrigerator/freezer. It comprises at least one refrigeration circuit, by means of which corresponding cold temperature control is produced in the inner chambers 3 and 4. The refrigeration circuit comprises a refrigerant compressor 6, as shown in
As shown in
During operation the refrigerant compressor 6 generates waste heat which is used to evaporate thawed water, which is collected, in the domestic refrigeration appliance 1. To this end the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 comprises an apparatus 7, which is configured to hold thawed water and subcomponents of which at least are also arranged in the machine chamber 12. To this end a drip tray 8 of the apparatus 7, which is configured to collect thawed water, is arranged in the machine chamber 12. It is arranged so to speak above the refrigerant compressor 6 so that there is a thermal coupling to evaporate the collected thawed water.
The apparatus 7 also comprises a further collection tray 9 for the thawed water, which is connected to the drip tray 8 by way of a connecting line 10.
The apparatus 7 also comprises a carrier tray 11, which is provided to hold the collection tray 9 and which is also arranged in the machine chamber 12.
The machine chamber 12 is delimited by boundary walls.
Openings 20 and 21 are configured in the base 13 as locking mounts. Further recesses 22, 23, 24 and 25 are also configured, these also being designed as through openings. The openings 22 to 25 are preferably provided for the connection of a further part, configured as a refrigerant compressor 6, which is held in a fixed position on the carrier tray 11. In this embodiment the fastening is in particular at least one snap connection and/or at least one plug-in connection and/or at least one locking connection also without any further additional separate fastening element, so a configuration free from any additional fastening element or without any additional fastening element is achieved here.
Provision is also made for said channels 18 and 19 to have slit-type recesses or gaps 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42. Such gaps 26 to 42 in particular form insertion regions for plug-in elements of a further part to be fastened to the carrier tray 11, providing in particular plug-in connections here.
The carrier tray 11 is shown in a perspective sectional representation in
The C shape is formed by a 180° curvature of the upper configuration of the side walls 14 and 15.
Such options for connecting further parts to the carrier tray 11 without additional separate fastening elements allow very fast but still positionally secure individual fitting of the respective further parts. The locational arrangement of the openings 20 and 21 and 22 to 25 and/or the locational and specifically shaped configurations of the gaps 26 to 42 allow individually shaped parts, which also vary in dimensions, to be fastened thereto. The parts can extend over the entire width (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A) and thus in the z direction between the channels 18 and 19 and can thus be fastened in corresponding gaps 26 to 42 opposite one another by means of plug-in connections. In the case of parts of correspondingly smaller width a similarly provided at least 2-point fastening can be effected on the one hand in at least one gap 26 to 42, on the other hand in an opening 21 to 25.
The operating capacitor housing 45 is correspondingly fastened on just one side to a channel 18 and locked to the base 13 on the other side by way of a locking mount.
The further parts described above in the form of the collection tray 9, the electronic unit 43 and the water stop unit 48 have the dimensions measured over the entire distance between the channels 18 and 19 in the z direction and therefore perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A.
The operating capacitor housing 45 therefore has plug-in elements in the form of positioning ribs at one end, only one plug-in element 53a being shown in this exemplary embodiment. Configured adjacent thereto and running parallel thereto are positionally fixed snap elements 51a, 51b and 51c, which engage in the hollow space of the C-shaped channel 18. Tabs forming support ribs 54 and 55 (
A locking connection 59 is also configured as a result.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2013 225 649 | Dec 2013 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2014/076595 | 12/4/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2015/086430 | 6/18/2015 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3727866 | Drake | Apr 1973 | A |
4539737 | Kerpers | Sep 1985 | A |
5040953 | Tinsler | Aug 1991 | A |
5953929 | Bauman | Sep 1999 | A |
6363736 | Kunkel | Apr 2002 | B1 |
20090211285 | Picker | Aug 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
202158716 | Mar 2012 | CN |
202267303 | Jun 2012 | CN |
10 2012 208984 | Dec 2013 | DE |
1 003 004 | May 2000 | EP |
2 292 993 | Mar 2011 | EP |
2 669 610 | Dec 2013 | EP |
2004-251608 | Sep 2001 | JP |
2012-137258 | Jul 2012 | JP |
WO 2013141551 | Sep 2013 | WO |
WO 2013186113 | Dec 2013 | WO |
Entry |
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Machine Translation, DE 10 2012 208984 A1. |
International Search Report and Written Opinion of the ISA for PCT/EP2014/076595, dated Feb. 27, 2015, 11 pages. |
Text of First Office Action issued in related Chinese Application No. 2014800643926 dated Jun. 21, 2017, 5 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160305703 A1 | Oct 2016 | US |