Patent Application
20140138337
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an shelf, in particular an shelf for a refrigerator.
2. Description of Related Art
Refrigerator shelves consist, as a rule, of a grid or of a glass pane which is provided with mechanical elements for holding in a refrigerator. Glass panes are distinguished not only by the advantage of better stability of the refrigerated stock, as compared with grids, but also, inter alia, in that liquids running out can be captured by the pane, so that contamination of the lower-lying region of the refrigerator can be avoided. Lateral overflow of liquids can in this case be avoided in various ways.
A customary solution for overflow protection consists of a plastic frame which surrounds the glass pane on all sides and which forms a margin around the pane. The disadvantage is that a plastic margin of this type is complicated to produce and reduces the standing surface which can be used for the refrigerated stock. Furthermore, the peripheral frame makes it difficult to clean the refrigerator shelf.
EP 0859207 proposes to provide a glass pane with arching so that an overflow volume of at least 100 cm3 can be accommodated before overflow occurs. At the same time, a frame around the glass pane may be dispensed with. However, achieving the arching according to the invention entails an additional complicated process step in production.
The object of the invention is to provide an shelf for a refrigerator, having overflow protection, which is improved in relation to the prior art.
The following description of the invention assumes that the shelf according to the invention and the overflow protection are in an installed state, so that, as seen by a user, this has a top side, an underside and also front, rear and side edges.
The shelf according to the invention comprises a carrier plate and overflow protection, the top side of the carrier plate having a middle region for standing containers and the overflow protection being arranged around the middle region. The shelf is characterized in that the overflow protection is designed, in a first portion, in the form of a hydrophobic layer on the carrier plate and, in a second portion which adjoins the first portion, comprises a frame element.
The carrier plate is preferably a plane glass plate with a material thickness of 3 to 8 mm. It is preferably commercially available prestressed float glass, that is to say a soda-lime glass. However, the carrier plates may also consist likewise of glass ceramic, plastic or metal or combinations of the materials mentioned.
In the middle region of the carrier plate, the carrier plate preferably has no coating, although the middle region may also be coated. However, the coating should have no hydrophobic properties, since the effectiveness of the hydrophobic layer of the overflow protection is thereby reduced.
The first and the second portion may, in general, extend in each case only over a small fraction of the circumference of the carrier plate, for example part of one side of the carrier plate, or else over a large fraction of the circumference of the carrier plate, for example over several sides of the carrier plate.
The hydrophobic layer may be any hydrophobic layer system which has sufficient resistance to chemicals and sufficient mechanical strength. Suitable layer systems are known to a person skilled in the art.
A typical example of a hydrophobic layer system is the inorganic/organic hybrid polymers which are known under the trade mark ORMOCER® of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research. On the other hand, there is a multiplicity of hydrophobic organic solutions which can be applied after manufacture or else by the final customer, for example a group of solutions which have become known under the trade mark “Clear Shield®”.
DE 100 18 671 A1 likewise discloses a suitable hydrophobic coating on glass or ceramic material, the said coating having an especially high mechanical strength. It comprises a thin underlayer composed of a metal compound, in particular of inorganic or organic compounds with preferably trivalent or tetravalent metals, such as Si, Al, Ti and Zr, and also an outer hydrophobic organic layer composed of siloxane, silane, fluorosilanepolyurethane or tetrafluoropolyethylene.
The hydrophobic layer exerts its action as overflow protection essentially on account of its special hydrophobicity, not because of its vertical extent. Depending on the intensity of hydrophobicity and on the strength of the liquid, a hydrophobic layer may, as a liquid barrier, have the effect of a mechanical barrier of a height of approximately 5 mm or more, although it may have a height of markedly less than 1 mm.
The hydrophobic layer may be of transparent or else coloured form.
A frame element is to be understood in general to mean a mechanical element which, essentially on account of its vertical extent, constitutes a barrier to liquid running out. It may be, for example, a plastic strip which is glued to the carrier plate or a profile strip which is plugged onto the side edge of the carrier plate and projects vertically above the surface of the carrier plate.
The overflow protection may comprise only the first and the second portion, but also further portions which, together with the first and the second portion, form the overflow protection. The overflow protection preferably surrounds the middle region of the carrier plate completely.
The hydrophobic layer is preferably arranged along the outer margin of the carrier plate in the form of a band with a width of 0.5 to 5 cm and in each case runs parallel to one of the outer edges of the carrier plate. It may, however, also be arranged at a distance from the outer edge.
The hydrophobic layer preferably has a layer thickness of 5 nm to 100 μm. There is therefore no or only a slight height difference with respect to the uncoated region of the carrier plate and therefore the surface having the hydrophobic layer can be utilized fully as a standing surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the hydrophobic layer is arranged in the form of an adhesive tape on the carrier plate, thus making it possible to apply the layer in an especially simple way.
Preferably no frame element or other element which projects vertically above the surface of the hydrophobic layer is arranged in the first portion, that is to say the hydrophobic layer alone acts as overflow protection.
In the second portion in which the overflow protection comprises a frame element, the frame element is preferably arranged along the outer edge of the carrier plate and is connected, liquid-tight, to the carrier plate. The frame element may in this case be arranged only on the top side of the carrier plate or else may extend, preferably in the form of a profile strip, around the outer edge of the carrier plate. The liquid-tight connection may in this case be designed, for example, in the form an unreleasable adhesive bond or else in the form of a sealing lip which makes it possible to release the frame element. This makes it possible, inter alia, to clean the frame element thoroughly in a simple way.
The frame element preferably projects vertically above the top side of the carrier plate by a height H of 1.0 mm or more. The frame element especially preferably projects above the top side of the carrier plate by 2.0 to 20.0 mm. The frame element can at the same time fulfil further functions in addition to its function as overflow protection. A frame element on the front side of the shelf may be designed as a grip part for pulling out the shelf, for example by means of a lip arranged on the underside. A frame element on the side of the shelf may be designed as a lateral guide rail which, together with a correspondingly designed guide in the refrigerator, forms a rest for the shelf. A frame element on the rear side may be designed as a rear shelf boundary which delimits the standing surface to the rear.
The frame element or part of the frame element may be designed to be removable, so that liquid captured by the overflow protection can be discharged in a controlled way. The removable part of the frame element may have, for example, a width of 0.5 cm to 5 cm and be contrasted in colour and/or shape from the frame element. The frame element may likewise extend over the entire front edge of the carrier plate and be designed to be removable. If liquid has run out and been captured by the overflow protection, it is generally difficult to remove the liquid from the shelf within the confined inner space of the refrigerator. It is also not readily possible to take out the shelf, since, even when the shelf is tilted only slightly, the liquid may overflow. In the proposed solution, a collecting container is arranged under the removable part of the frame element and the removable part is removed so that the liquid flows off into the container. The proposed solution thus makes it possible in a simple way to discharge at least some of the liquid which has run out, so that the removal of the liquid is, overall, conveniently possible. In this preferred embodiment, the carrier plate may have a slight inclination of 1° to 8°, preferably 2° to 5°, with respect to the horizontal, the removable part of the frame element lying at the lowest point, so that a large part of the liquid can be discharged in a controlled way. The inclination in this case relates to an installed state of the shelf, with the refrigerator oriented horizontally.
In a second portion, too, in which the overflow protection comprises a frame element, a hydrophobic layer may additionally be arranged between the frame element and the middle region, so that the frame element is protected from impurities.
The overflow protection has, as seen by a user, a front-side portion, a rear-side portion and two lateral portions, the front-side portion being located on the side facing the user and the rear-side portion being located on the side facing away from the user.
In a preferred embodiment, the lateral portions of the overflow protection are designed, essentially over their entire length, as a hydrophobic layer, and the front-side and/or rear-side portion comprise/comprises, essentially over the entire length, a frame element. Essentially is to be understood in this context to mean a length fraction of at least 50%, but preferably 80% or more, preferably only the transition regions arranged in the corners being accepted. This shelf has an especially wide standing surface. It has, furthermore, the advantage that, in the region of the especially stressed front edge of the shelf, the frame element at the same time protects the front edge of the carrier plate from shocks, for example when the refrigerator is being loaded with bottles. Moreover, no wear of the frame profile occurs during frequent loading and unloading. By contrast, when there is a hydrophobic coating in the region of the front edge, there is the risk that this becomes worn as a result of frequent loading and unloading and its effectiveness diminishes.
The hydrophobic layer is therefore preferably arranged only in the surface regions of the shelf which are at less risk of abrasion.
In a further preferred embodiment, the lateral portions of the overflow protection comprise, essentially over their entire length, a frame element, and the front-side and/or rear-side portion are/is designed, essentially over their entire length, as a hydrophobic layer. Essentially is to be understood in this context to mean a length fraction of at least 50%, but preferably 80% or more, preferably only the transition regions arranged in the corners being accepted. The shelf consequently affords an especially deep standing surface. In this embodiment, the lateral frame elements preferably serve at the same time for guiding and holding the shelf, so that further carrying elements, such as, for example, angle pieces arranged under the shelf, may be dispensed with.
In a first embodiment, in a transition region between a first portion, in which the overflow protection is designed in the form of a hydrophobic layer on the carrier plate, and a second portion, which adjoins the first portion and in which the overflow protection comprises a frame element, the hydrophobic layer runs as far as the lower edge of the frame element or underneath the frame element. In the first instance, therefore, the hydrophobic layer directly adjoins the frame element and is delimited by this. Consequently, in the case of a minimal extent of the transition region, the first and the second portion adjoin one another. In the latter instance, the hydrophobic layer extends from the first portion beneath the frame element in the transition region, that is to say is arranged in the transition region between the carrier plate and frame element. Exact delimitation of the hydrophobic layer signifying a higher outlay in manufacturing terms can thereby advantageously be dispensed with.
In a further embodiment of the transition region between a first portion and a second portion, the hydrophobic layer runs from the first portion as far as the lower edge of the frame element and is then continued in the transition region on the rising edge of the frame element. This embodiment ensures that a transition region does not constitute in the overflow protection a weak point where liquid preferentially runs out.
Particularly in this embodiment of the transition region, the hydrophobic layer may be arranged on an adhesive tape which can be glued to the carrier plate and to the frame element.
The invention relates, furthermore, to a carrier plate according to the same inventive principle.
The carrier plate according to the invention has overflow protection which is arranged along the circumference of the carrier plate, the overflow protection being designed, in a first portion, in the form of a hydrophobic layer on the carrier plate and, in a second portion which adjoins the first portion, comprising a frame element. The carrier plate may be designed, for example, as a worktop, table top, cutting board, cooking hob, cooking pocket, oven lid or shop counter or a component of these. It may be, in particular, a cooking hob made from glass or glass ceramic.
The invention, then, is explained in more detail by means of
The following figure description assumes that the refrigerator shelf according to the invention is in an installed state, so that, as seen by the user of the refrigerator, it has a top side, an underside and also front, rear and side edges.
The shelf (1) comprises, for example, angle pieces as fastening elements (14) which are arranged under the carrier plate and which serve for holding the shelf, for example, in a refrigerator. However, the type of fastening is of minor importance for the subject of the invention, and the fastening illustrated is therefore to be understood as being merely by way of example.
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| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2011 085 428.2 | Oct 2011 | DE | national |
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/570,509, filed Dec. 14, 2011 and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of German Patent Application No. 10 2011 085 428.2, filed Oct. 28, 2011.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61570509 | Dec 2011 | US |
