Device for receiving goods to be cooled in a refrigerator

Abstract

A device designed to receive elongate goods, such as bottles, which are to be cooled in a refrigerator. The device includes a frame with elongate lateral strips, which can be inserted into a refrigerator and attaches to the conventional horizontal supports or shelving provided in the refrigerator. The device includes a first bar with bearing surfaces for the goods to be cooled, which bar is tiltably attached to the frame. The device also includes a second bar with bearing surfaces for the goods to be cooled, which bar is rigidly connected to the frame

Description

The subject matter of the invention is a device for receiving elongate goods which are to be cooled in a refrigerator, comprising a frame or support for the goods to be cooled which can be inserted in to the refrigerator in a horizontal orientation, at least one first bar and at least one second bar provided with bearing surfaces in order to arrange goods which are to be cooled, of which the first bar can be tilted between a horizontal position and a vertical position. The device is suitable for largely flat storage of bottle-like goods which are to be cooled such as mineral water, beer or wine bottles or the like.

Such a device is known from WO 98/05910. This comprises a device with a horizontal frame and two hinged bars where the frame can be hooked on a support for the goods to be cooled in a refrigerator. The two bars are interconnected by a coupling element so that they can execute synchronous folding movements. This device is very expensive to manufacture and costly because of the large number of moving parts.

It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a device for receiving goods which are to be cooled in a refrigerator which does not have the disadvantages of the known device.

This object is solved by a device having the features of claim 1 and by a device having the features of claim 4.

In the device according to the invention the rigid design of the second bar allows the coupling elements to be dispensed with. This is reflected in reduced costs and in addition considerably simplifies the assembly of the device.

In particular, if the second bar and the frame are constructed in one piece, e.g. as a common injection moulding, it is merely necessary to mount the first bar on the one-piece section to assemble the device.

In a device having the features of claim 4, the support for the goods which are to be cooled, for example, comprises a plate-shaped glass intermediate base or a lattice shelf.

If the device according to the invention does not comprise a support for the goods which are to be cooled, as defined in claim 4, its frame should more appropriately be provided with a device for attaching this device to a support for the goods which are to be cooled. Said support for the goods which are to be cooled can comprise a plate-shaped glass intermediate base as above but also a lattice shelf. The device for attaching the device to the support for the goods which are to be cooled can, for example, be hooks or hook-shaped elements which grip around the front and rear edge of the support for the goods which are to be cooled.

The device can be displaceable to various positions on the support for the goods which are to be cooled along its front and rear edge. Increased flexibility is thus obtained for accommodating the goods to be cooled in the refrigerator.

The device is preferably attached below the support for the goods which are to be cooled. In this way, the device does not occupy any space on the upper side of the support for the goods which are to be cooled, to be used for placing goods to be cooled and leaves this free for placing further goods to be cooled. The device thus makes it possible to use the space directly below the support for the goods which are to be cooled, which frequently remains unused without such a device.

A device having the features of claim 4 can likewise have a frame which surrounds the support for the goods which are to be cooled however and is arranged on the first and the second bar. Here also the frame or at least a part thereof can be constructed in one piece with the second bar.

The frame attached to the support for the goods which are to be cooled or surrounding the support for the goods which are to be cooled is advantageously made of plastic since such a frame can especially simply be manufactured in one working step with the second bar.

The first bar, on the other hand, is preferably made of metal.

The second bar can comprise a first and a second bearing surface for placing the goods to be cooled at different heights. If the goods to be cooled are bottle-shaped, one of these bearing surfaces can serve to receive a bottle body and the other to receive a bottle neck.

In the case of bottle-shaped goods to be cooled, it is also especially advantageous if at least one of the bearing surfaces has arc-shaped sections. However, one bearing surface of one of the bars can have one such arc-shaped section independently of a recess of other bearing surfaces of the same or of the respectively other bar.

The second bar can have a vertically oriented stop for the goods to be cooled. Such a stop prevents the goods to be cooled from falling down from the device.

The stop is especially preferably a vertical wall whose upper edge forms the other bearing surface.

The first bar can advantageously be located in the horizontal and/or the vertical position in order to fix this in the desired position in this manner.

The first bar can be constructed in one piece; however, it can also consist of a plurality of sections which can be tilted independently of one another, each designed to receive one or a plurality of bottles.

The device is especially preferably built into the refrigerator such that the second bar is adjacent to a rear wall of the refrigerator. This ensures that when this device is not used, said device does not significantly impede the storage space of the refrigerator.

The invention is explained hereinafter with reference to the drawings. In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a refrigerator;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device according to the invention from FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the device according to the invention from FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is lateral section through the device according to the invention from FIG. 2 with a bottle inserted;

FIG. 6 is lateral section through the device according to the invention from FIG. 2 with a bottle inserted oppositely oriented to that in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a modified embodiment of the first bar of the device according to the invention.

As an example of a refrigerating device FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a refrigerator 1 with an opened door 3 and a device 2 according to the invention. The opened door 3 exposes the view into an interior storage compartment 6 of the refrigerator 1. The storage compartment 6 is divided by four horizontally arranged supports 4 for the goods to be cooled, here in the form of glass plates. Alternatively to glass plates, lattice shelves can also be used as supports 4 for the goods to be cooled. A device 2 according to the invention is suspended on the uppermost support 4 for the goods to be cooled. Inserted in the device 2 as goods to be cooled is a bottle 5 which is held by the device 2 on an underside of the support 4 for goods to be cooled. The device 2 can be displaced in a transverse direction to any positions along the support 4 for goods to be cooled.

Since the bottle 5 is held by the device 2 directly under the support 4 for goods to be cooled in an area of the storage compartment 6 which generally remains unused without the device 2, the bottle 5 occupies no space on the bearing surfaces of the support 4 for goods to be cooled. Rather, this remains free for storage of further goods to be cooled. The displaceability of the device 2 additionally increases the flexibility when equipping the storage compartment 6.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the device 2 according to the invention. FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the device 2 and FIG. 4 shows a front view. The device 2 substantially comprises a rectangular frame 7 with a front strip 12 and a rear strip 11 parallel thereto and two side strips 13 parallel to one another, a first bar 8 and a second bar 9. The second bar 9 is arranged vertically from the rear strip 11 of the horizontal frame 7 such that it projects perpendicularly downwards on the frame 7. In this case, the bar 9 extends from one end of the rear strip 11 of the frame 7 to its other end. The bar 9 can be made of plastic in one piece with the frame 7 or at least with its rear strip 11 or it can be permanently affixed thereon, e.g. by locating.

Both along the rear strip 11 and also along the front strip 12, the frame 7 has upwardly projecting rail-like hooks 10 which extend over the entire length of the strips 11 and 12. In this case, the hooks 10 are aligned so that they face one another. Alternatively thereto, instead of the rail-like hooks 10 respectively one or more conventional hooks can be provided.

The bar 8 is suspended at the same height on both the side strips 13. The bar 8 is made of strong painted metal wire. It can be tilted as desired from a vertically suspended position into a horizontal position lying on the frame 7 and located there. This is indicated in FIG. 2 by the bar shown by the dashed line and provided with a double arrow.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the bar 8 has three arc-shaped sections 14 which are used for insertion of a bottle. Congruently to the sections 14, the bar 9 also has three arc-shaped sections 17 (see FIG. 5) which extend horizontally over a depth of a few centimetres. These are stiffened by a vertical wall 16 constructed in one part therewith. Arc-shaped cut-outs 15 are formed on the upper edge of the wall 16.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the device according to the invention built into a refrigerator 1 with an inserted bottle 5 as goods to be cooled. The device 2 is suspended with the rail-shaped hook 10 on a support 4 for goods to be cooled so that the bars 8 and 9 are arranged underneath said support 4 for goods to be cooled. The bar 8 hangs vertically downwards in the folded-out state. The bottle 5 is placed thereon with its bottle body. The L-shaped cross-section of the bar 9 with the arc-shaped sections 17 each serving as a bearing surface for the bottom of a bottle 5, and the wall 16 which forms a stop which prevents the bottom of the bottle from coming into contact with the rear wall of the storage compartment, can be identified.

A bottle 5 can also be inserted into the device 2 in the inverted orientation, as shown in FIG. 6. Here the bottle 5 lies with a lower part of its bottle body on the bar 8 whereas the narrow neck of the bottle 5 is supported on one of the arc-shaped cut-outs 15 of the vertical wall 16. This type of placement is especially suitable for small bottles whereas the orientation of FIG. 5 is rather used for large bottles.

In many bottles the end of the neck is thicker. Since this thickened end is pushed over the wall 16 during insertion of the bottles, location of the bottles in the device can be achieved.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative configuration of the tiltable bar. Instead of the bar 8 bent in one piece from wire which was considered above, a multi-part structure is shown here, comprising a shaft 18 which engages in holes 19 of the side strips 13 (of which only one is shown in part in the figure) and on which individual bars 20, 21 can be tilted and located in vertical and horizontal positions with the aid of pins 22. The two single bars 20, 21 can be tilted independently of one another so that depending on the number of bottles to be stored, only the single bar 20 with a single arc-shaped section 14, the single bar 21 with two such sections or both simultaneously can be folded upwards or tilted into the vertical position.

As an alternative embodiment of the device 2 according to the invention the bars 8 and 9 can be attached directly to the support 4 for goods to be cooled so that the frame 7 affixed to the support 4 for goods to be cooled can be omitted. Such a support for goods to be cooled can be formed, for example, by a glass plate enclosed all the way round in profile elements joined to form a fixed frame where the rigid bar 9 can be affixed to a rear profile element or formed in one part therewith and the tiltable bar 8 can be suspended on lateral profile elements.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A device for receiving elongate goods to be cooled in a refrigerator having horizontal supports or shelving for goods to be cooled, comprising:

a frame adapted to be inserted into the refrigerator in a substantially horizontal orientation;

at least a first bar connected to said frame having bearing surfaces for placing the goods to be cooled, said first bar can be tilted between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position; and

at least a second bar having bearing surfaces for placing said goods to be cooled, said second bar rigidly connected to said frame.

16. The device according to claim 15, including said frame fitted with an attachment structure for attaching said device on the supports or shelving for goods to be cooled.

17. The device according to claim 15, including said frame can be displaced to different positions on the supports or shelving for goods to be cooled.

18. The device according to claim 15, including said frame made of plastic.

19. The device according to claim 15, including said second bar having a first and a second bearing surface for placing the goods to be cooled at different heights.

20. The device according to claim 19, including at least one of said bearing surfaces having arc-shaped sections.

21. The device according to claim 15, including said second bar having a substantially vertically oriented stop for the goods to be cooled.

22. The device according to claim 21, including said stop is a substantially vertical wall whose upper edge forms one of said bearing surfaces.

23. The device according to claim 15, including said first bar can be located in at least one of said substantially horizontal and said substantially vertical positions.

24. The device according to claim 15, including said first bar made of metal.

25. The device according to claim 15, including said first bar made of metal wire shaped to form said bearing surfaces.

26. A device for receiving elongate goods to be cooled in a refrigerator, comprising:

a support for goods to be cooled which can be inserted into the refrigerator in a substantially horizontal orientation;

at least a first bar with bearing surfaces for placing the goods to be cooled, said first bar can be tilted between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position; and

at least a second bar with bearing surfaces for placing the goods to be cooled, said second bar rigidly connected to said frame.

27. The device according to claim 26, including a frame enclosing said support for goods to be cooled, said first bar and said second bar arranged on said support.

28. The device according to claim 27, including said frame fitted with an attachment structure for attaching said device on the supports or shelving for goods to be cooled.

29. The device according to claim 26, including said support can be displaced to different positions on the supports or shelving for goods to be cooled.

30. The device according to claim 28, including said frame made of plastic.

31. The device according to claim 26, including said second bar having a first and a second bearing surface for placing the goods to be cooled at different heights.

32. The device according to claim 31, including at least one of said bearing surfaces having arc-shaped sections.

33. The device according to claim 26, including said second bar having a substantially vertically oriented stop for the goods to be cooled.

34. The device according to claim 33, including said stop is a substantially vertical wall whose upper edge forms one of said bearing surfaces.

35. The device according to claim 26, including said first bar can be located in at least one of said substantially horizontal and said substantially vertical positions.

36. The device according to claim 26, including said first bar made of metal.

37. The device according to claim 26, including said first bar made of metal wire shaped to form said bearing surfaces.

38. A refrigerator having horizontal supports or shelving for goods to be cooled, comprising:

a device for receiving elongate goods to be cooled in a refrigerator;

said device including a frame adapted to be inserted into the refrigerator in a substantially horizontal orientation;

at least a first bar connected to said frame having bearing surfaces for placing the goods to be cooled, said first bar can be tilted between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position; and

at least a second bar having bearing surfaces for placing said goods to be cooled, said second bar rigidly connected to said frame.

39. The refrigerator according to claim 38, including said second bar is adjacent to a rear wall of the refrigerator.

40. The refrigerator according to claim 38, including said frame fitted with an attachment structure for attaching said device on the supports or shelving for goods to be cooled and said frame can be displaced to different positions on said supports or shelving for goods to be cooled.

41. The refrigerator according to claim 38, including said second bar having a first and a second bearing surface for placing the goods to be cooled at different heights and at least one of said bearing surfaces having arc-shaped sections.

42. The refrigerator according to claim 41, including said second bar having a substantially vertically oriented stop for the goods to be cooled and said stop is a substantially vertical wall whose upper edge forms one of said bearing surfaces.

43. The refrigerator according to claim 38, including said first bar can be located in at least one of said substantially horizontal and said substantially vertical positions.

44. The refrigerator according to claim 38, including said first bar made of metal wire shaped to form said bearing surfaces.