Refrigerator and / or freezer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a coolable interior and a door, wherein a water connection is provided which is designed to supply water from the or at least partially through the body of the appliance in the area of ​​an upper door hinge of the appliance to a functional element integrated into the door, preferably a water dispenser or ice maker.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a functional element in the door which requires a water connection.

[0002] It is known according to the state of the art that a refrigerator and / or freezer, for example, has a water dispenser or an ice maker in or on the door.

[0003] The water heater or ice maker can be equipped with its own water tank located on the door side, which, however, complicates the production of the door.

[0004] Alternatively, water can be supplied to the door-side functional element from the appliance body. In practice, such solutions are currently usually associated with considerable installation effort and insufficient ease of use.

[0005] Against this background, the present invention aims to mitigate or even completely eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0006] A specific object of the invention is to provide an improved way of supplying water to a door-side functional element of a refrigerator and / or freezer.

[0007] This problem is solved by the subject matter of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0008] Accordingly, a refrigerator and / or freezer with a coolable interior and a door is provided, wherein a water connection is available which is designed to supply water from the or at least partially through the body of the appliance in the area of ​​an upper door hinge of the appliance to a functional element integrated into the door, preferably a water dispenser or ice maker.

[0009] The upper door hinge is preferably the hinge positioned closest to a cover of the device.

[0010] The phrase "in the area of ​​an upper door hinge" preferably means that the water connection is located at least partially in the hinge, adjacent to it, or in close proximity to it. An exemplary embodiment is shown in the figures.

[0011] The water connection is preferably further equipped with a quick connector arranged on the body side, to which a first line hose extending towards the door can preferably be detachably connected or attached by means of a hose coupling detachably arranged on the quick connector.

[0012] The first conduit preferably extends from the door towards the body and is fluidically connected to the functional element.

[0013] The first conduit hose can be made of a flexible and / or elastic material, preferably polymer, which simplifies the assembly of the first conduit hose or hose coupling onto the quick connector.

[0014] In practice, it has proven advantageous if the quick connector is at least partially housed in a rigid casing and / or located between a top cover of the device and an insulating layer of the device.

[0015] The housing primarily serves to ensure the correct positioning of the quick connector when connecting it to the hose coupling, thus further simplifying assembly.

[0016] Furthermore, the precise positioning of the quick connector and the hose coupling allows unnecessary lengths of the first hose to be saved; the hose is preferably only as long as the connection requires.

[0017] The housing can be designed as a hollow cylinder, one opening of which faces the door when the door is closed. Such a design is shown, for example, in the figures.

[0018] The quick connector is preferably connected to a second conduit for conveying water, which preferably extends at least partially in a rigid hollow conduit through an insulating layer of the device.

[0019] The rigid hollow tube preferably shields the second conduit from the foam of the insulation layer and prevents unwanted meandering of the second conduit in the insulation layer.

[0020] Furthermore, the water connection can have a guide geometry for guiding at least one hose, preferably the first hose. The guide geometry can have a support plate, preferably at least partially circular segment-shaped, on which at least one hose can preferably be detachably fixed.

[0021] The present invention enables simplified mounting of the door to the body of the device. This allows the door to be preferably detachable from the body of the device without tools, and furthermore, the door is preferably designed without a water tank.

[0022] It should be noted here that the terms "ein" and "eine" do not necessarily refer to exactly one of the elements, although this is a possible interpretation, but can also denote a plurality of elements. Likewise, the use of the plural also includes the presence of the element in question in the singular, and conversely, the singular also includes several of the elements in question.

[0023] Furthermore, all features of the invention described herein can be combined with one another or claimed separately from one another as desired.

[0024] Further advantages, features and effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the figure. Here, the figure shows... Fig. 1: A sectional view of a water connection of a cooling and / or freezing appliance according to the invention, and Fig. 2: a perspective view of the water connection of the cooling and / or freezing appliance according to the invention Fig. 1.

[0025] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the hose 1 (an example of a first line hose) for the ice center integrated into the door, which is not shown in the figure, is connected to the quick connector 2 located on the body side via a hose coupling 3.

[0026] This allows the use of a softer hose type that is not normally suitable for the quick connector 2. This means easier handling and assembly of the soft hose 1 to the quick connector 2.

[0027] On the body side, there is also a housing 4 for the quick connector 2, which at least partially surrounds the quick connector 2 and allows for precise positioning of the quick connector 2, so that the length of the hoses 1 and 6 (an example of a second conduit hose) can be optimal.

[0028] This means that hoses 1 and 6 will not be excessively long. This reduces costs and prevents unnecessary bends and the risk of a hose being severely kinked due to excessive length.

[0029] Furthermore, an additional rigid pipe 5 (an example of a hollow pipe) is provided, which extends at least partially through the insulation layer or the foam of the device in order to protect the hose 6 for the water supply from the influence of the foam during the manufacturing process.

[0030] Such a hollow pipe prevents unnecessary meandering of hose 6 and reduces the risk of sharp bends. Furthermore, pipe 5 protects hose 6 from the heat generated during the chemical reaction of the foam.

[0031] Fig. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the arrangement. Fig. 1.

[0032] The flexible hose 1, together with the intermediate hose coupling 3, is inserted into one side of the quick connector 3. The water inlet hose 6 is guided through the rigid pipe 5 and inserted into the other side of the quick connector 2. The quick coupling 2 is then inserted into the housing 4.

[0033] In Fig. 2. Furthermore, the guide geometry, which is at least partially circular segment-shaped, is recognizable, as is the hose 1, which is detachably fixed.

Claims

[1] Refrigerator and / or freezer, with a coolable interior and a door, wherein a water connection is provided which is designed to supply water from the body of the appliance or at least partially through the body of the appliance in the area of ​​an upper door hinge of the appliance to a functional element integrated into the door, preferably a water dispenser or ice maker. [2] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 1, wherein the water connection is further equipped with a quick connector arranged on the body side, to which a first conduit extending from the door to the body can preferably be detachably connected or attached by means of a hose coupling detachably arranged on the quick connector. [3] Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to claim 2, wherein the conduit hose is made of a flexible and / or elastic material, preferably polymer. [4] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 3, wherein the quick connector is at least partially housed in a rigid casing and is preferably arranged between an upper cover of the appliance and an insulating layer of the appliance. [5] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 4, wherein the housing is designed as a hollow cylinder, one opening of which is open towards the door when the door is in a closed state. [6] Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 5, wherein the quick connector is connected to a second conduit which preferably extends at least partially in a rigid hollow conduit through an insulating layer of the appliance. [7] Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the water connection further comprises a guide geometry for guiding at least one conduit hose, preferably the first conduit hose. [8] Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to claim 7, wherein the guide geometry has a preferably at least partially circular segment-shaped support plate on which at least one conduit hose can preferably be detachably fixed. [9] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the door is preferably detachable from the body of the appliance without tools and furthermore the door is preferably designed without a water tank.

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