Storage arrangement for a refrigeration appliance

Abstract

Storage arrangement for a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with a cooling chamber (1) which has at least one shelf (5), and with at least one refrigerated goods carrier (17, 19) which can be mounted on the shelf (5), wherein the refrigerated goods carrier (17, 19) can be suspended on both sides via a hook element (15) on opposite edges of the shelf (5), in particular on the front and rear edges (25, 26) of the shelf (5), characterized in that the hook element (15) is a separate adapter part which can be coupled to the refrigerated goods carrier (17) at a first connection point (I), and in that the hook element (15) has the first connection point (I) on its side facing away from the shelf (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a storage arrangement for a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with a cooling chamber which has at least one shelf and with at least one refrigerated goods carrier which can be mounted on the shelf, as well as to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with such a storage arrangement.

[0002] Modern refrigeration appliances increasingly feature interior fittings that can be flexibly configured according to individual customer requirements. Storage systems consisting of refrigerated goods carriers, such as containers or trays, are well-known for this purpose. These can be flexibly attached to the side wall of the refrigerator compartment and / or to a shelf to individually divide the available refrigeration space.

[0003] For example, DE 10 2009 002 059 A1 discloses a storage arrangement in which a support plate can be mounted vertically between two shelves on the side wall of the refrigerated compartment. Smaller containers can be suspended laterally in the support plate, one above the other. In the installed position, these smaller containers are spaced apart both from each other and from the upper and lower shelves by effectively unusable empty spaces. The space required by the storage arrangement known from DE 10 2009 002 059 A1 is therefore excessively large compared to the storage area actually provided by the storage arrangement.

[0004] The support plate known from DE 10 2009 002 059 A1 forms an adapter part whose upper edge flange is suspended from the shelf base and to which the refrigerated goods carriers can be held on one side and moved in one extension direction. The support plate is therefore vertically and loosely attached to the shelf base. Therefore, when the refrigerated goods carriers are hung in or removed from the support plate, the plate does not remain securely in its rest position. Rather, the support plate is deflected from its rest position, which impairs the handling of the storage arrangement.

[0005] The object of the invention is to provide a storage arrangement for a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, in which the refrigerated goods carriers can be held stably in a simple manner.

[0006] A refrigeration appliance is understood to mean, in particular, a household refrigeration appliance, i.e. a refrigeration appliance that is used for household management in households or possibly also in the catering sector, and in particular is used to store food and / or beverages in household quantities at certain temperatures, such as a refrigerator, a freezer, a fridge-freezer combination or a wine storage cabinet.

[0007] The problem is solved by the features of patent claim 1 or patent claim 13. Preferred developments are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0008] The invention is based on the realization that a support plate suspended in an upright position and only at the upper edge is insufficient to ensure the dimensional stability of the storage arrangement even when the refrigerated goods carrier is in use. According to the characterizing part of patent claim 1, the refrigerated goods carrier is therefore attached to the shelf via a support plate or, more generally, via a hook element that can be hooked onto opposite edges of the shelf on both sides. In contrast to the prior art, the refrigerated goods carrier can therefore not only be suspended from a lateral support plate on one side, but can also be held stably and securely on both sides of the shelf. Depending on the design, the hook element of the refrigerated goods carrier can engage around the side edges of the shelf that are opposite one another in the direction of the appliance's lateral position, or alternatively, it can engage around the front and rear edges of the shelf that are opposite one another in the direction of the installation depth.For this purpose, the hook element can preferably have two mutually facing retaining grooves into which the opposite shelf edges can be inserted.

[0009] In one embodiment, the hook element can be formed directly onto the refrigerated goods carrier in a uniform material and / or as a single piece. However, it is preferred if the hook element is a separate adapter part that can be releasably coupled to the refrigerated goods carrier at a first connection point without the need for tools.

[0010] In one technical design, the hook element can have a base plate that, when installed, is aligned in a horizontal plane parallel to the shelf. The base plate of the hook element can be in direct contact with the shelf over a large area to ensure reliable fastening. The base plate can also have L-shaped edge webs projecting at right angles that can engage opposite edges of the shelf. In cross-sectional profile, the hook element thus designed is then approximately U-shaped, comprising the base plate and the edge webs projecting laterally from it.

[0011] The base plate of the shelf can have a first connection point on its side facing away from the shelf, to which the refrigerated goods carrier can be attached. The hook element and the refrigerated goods carrier can be brought into a form-fitting connection, in which the connecting partners each have complementary form-fitting elements. The interacting form-fitting elements can form a tongue and groove connection, in which the refrigerated goods carrier can be pushed into or pulled out of the refrigerated compartment in the installation depth direction. The installation depth of the hook element can essentially correspond to the installation depth of the shelf to ensure optimal use of the installation space in the refrigerated compartment. In contrast, the width of the hook element, i.e. the adapter part, can be smaller than the width of the shelf. In this way, the adapter part suspended in the shelf can be moved positionally along the edge.

[0012] The storage arrangement can be mounted on the shelf in either a hanging or a standing version. In a hanging version, the hook element can be pre-mounted on the underside of the shelf. In a further assembly step, a refrigerated goods carrier can be coupled to the hook element at the first connection point. To enable easy expansion of the storage arrangement, the refrigerated goods carrier attached directly to the shelf via the hook element can also have a second connection point to which at least one additional refrigerated goods carrier can be attached. The refrigerated goods carrier attached directly to the shelf via the hook element therefore forms a basic refrigerated goods carrier to which the additional refrigerated goods carrier can be mounted.

[0013] To allow for the positional interchangeability of the refrigerated goods carriers in the storage arrangement, it is advantageous if the first connection point and the second connection point are identical in design. For easy assembly / disassembly, it is particularly preferred if the two refrigerated goods carriers are each held in a tool-free, form-fitting connection on the hook element / adapter part or on the base refrigerated goods carrier. The connection points can therefore preferably each be a tongue-and-groove connection, allowing the refrigerated goods carrier to be pushed into or pulled out of the refrigerated space in the installation depth direction.

[0014] It is preferred if the storage arrangement consists of a range of devices featuring a series of differently designed refrigerated goods carriers that can be coupled with the basic refrigerated goods carrier according to individual customer requirements. The storage arrangement can therefore be expanded as required according to customer requirements, without leaving any unusable empty spaces between the individual refrigerated goods carriers.

[0015] Each of the refrigerated goods carriers can have a box-shaped basic form, specifically with a base wall and a top wall, on each of which connection elements for the first and second connection points are provided on the outside. On the inside, the refrigerated goods carriers define storage compartments into which inserts, such as a drawer or a bottle or can holder, can be inserted. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the box-shaped containers can have an installation depth that approximately corresponds to the installation depth of the shelf. The width and height of the box-shaped refrigerated goods carriers, on the other hand, can be smaller than the shelf width or the compartment height. A particularly space-saving storage arrangement is achieved in that the basic refrigerated goods carrier and the at least one additional refrigerated goods carrier are designed to be stackable in a vertical direction of the device.The refrigerated goods carriers can preferably each be designed with the same width, so that the side walls of the base and additional refrigerated goods carriers lie approximately in a vertical plane, thus creating a flat, lateral boundary for the remaining storage compartment. For such stacking in the vertical direction of the device, the base and additional refrigerated goods carriers can each have first and second connection points on the floor and ceiling walls, which are preferably arranged in alignment with one another.

[0016] Preferably, the storage arrangement, which consists of at least the basic refrigerated goods carrier and an additional refrigerated goods carrier, can be installed as a retrofit kit in existing refrigeration appliances. To ensure easy installation of the storage arrangement, it can additionally have the aforementioned hook element or an adapter part, via which the basic refrigerated goods carrier can be mounted to the first connection point on the shelf. In general, the installation of refrigerated goods carriers on the shelf is already known, for example in the form of under-hung trays or bottle racks that are suspended from the shelf. In contrast, according to the invention, at least one further additional refrigerated goods carrier can be attached directly to the already suspended basic refrigerated goods carrier of the storage arrangement. The additional refrigerated goods carrier is therefore no longer directly in engagement with the side wall or the shelf of the refrigeration appliance, but is suspended directly on the basic refrigerated goods carrier.The aforementioned adapter part can be made of the same material and / or formed integrally with the base refrigerated goods carrier. However, the adapter part is preferably a separate component that can be detachably connected to both the shelf and the base refrigerated goods carrier without the need for tools.

[0017] The second connection point, on the other hand, can be provided between the basic refrigerated goods carrier and the additional refrigerated goods carrier. In order to be able to exchange the positions of the two refrigerated goods carriers as required, it is advantageous if the first connection point and the second connection point are of identical design. For easy assembly / disassembly, it is particularly preferred if the two refrigerated goods carriers are each held in a form-fitting connection on the adapter part or on the basic refrigerated goods carrier, which can be released without the use of tools. Against this background, the connection points can preferably each have interacting form-fitting elements, such as a shoulder contour and a precisely fitting receiving contour. The connection points can, for example, be designed as known tongue and groove connections.

[0018] It is preferred if the storage arrangement consists of a range of devices that, in addition to the basic refrigerated goods carrier, has a number of additional refrigerated goods carriers that can be coupled to the basic refrigerated goods carrier according to individual customer requirements. The storage arrangement can therefore be expanded as required according to customer requirements, without leaving unusable gaps between the individual refrigerated goods carriers. The expansion of the storage arrangement with additional additional refrigerated goods carriers is therefore limited solely by the size of the storage compartment.

[0019] As already mentioned, the hook element can have a base plate, which can be fastened to the shelf in a form-fitting manner. For this purpose, the base plate can preferably have front and rear retaining grooves, which can respectively engage around the front and rear edges of the shelf. The hook element is thus held dimensionally stable on the shelf. On the side of the base plate facing away from the shelf, however, the form-fitting elements of the first connection point can be formed. As mentioned above, the basic refrigerated goods carrier can be coupled to the first connection point. As an alternative to the base plate mentioned above, the adapter part can also be designed as a container or in any other suitable basic shape.

[0020] As an alternative to the hanging design, the adapter part or hook element can be arranged on the top of the shelf in a standing design. In this case, the base refrigerated goods carrier can be coupled to the adapter part via its first connection point on the bottom. The additional refrigerated goods carrier, on the other hand, can be mounted, for example, on the upper cover wall of the base refrigerated goods carrier.

[0021] The aforementioned tongue-and-groove connection is advantageous for creating the positive connection between the first and second connection points. This can be achieved, for example, using a guide rail that can be inserted into a precisely fitting receiving groove. To ensure that refrigerated goods are held securely, it is particularly advantageous to avoid bending moments when stacking the refrigerated goods carriers. This can be virtually eliminated if the first and second connection points of the basic and additional refrigerated goods carriers are aligned one above the other in the vertical direction of the device. The basic and additional refrigerated goods carriers can be equipped with additional drawers, bottle holders, can holders, or the like, which can be inserted into the storage space of the refrigerated goods carriers.

[0022] The advantageous embodiments and / or further developments explained above and / or reproduced in the subclaims can be used individually or in any combination with one another - except, for example, in cases of clear dependencies and incompatible alternatives.

[0023] The invention and its advantageous developments and further developments as well as their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

[0024] They show: Fig. 1 shows a perspective partial view of a refrigeration appliance in whose cooling chamber a total of three storage arrangements are installed; Fig. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of a basic refrigerated goods carrier of a storage arrangement mounted on a shelf; Fig. 3 which in the Fig. 2 shown arrangement in exploded view; and Fig. 4 an assortment of different refrigerated goods carriers of the storage arrangement.

[0025] In the Fig. 1 partially shows an inner container 2 of a refrigeration appliance with a cooling chamber 1, which is delimited in the lateral direction x of the appliance by opposing side walls 3 and in the depth direction y to the rear by a rear wall 4. The front loading opening of the refrigeration appliance can be closed by an appliance door (not shown). The cooling chamber 1 is divided by horizontal shelves 5 into storage compartments 6, 7, 8 arranged one above the other. The shelves 5 are supported at the edges on support projections (not shown) that are integrated into the interior paneling of the side walls 3.

[0026] As from the Fig. 1, two retrofittable storage arrangements 9, 11 are provided in the middle storage compartment 7 and a further, likewise retrofittable storage arrangement 13 is provided in the lower storage compartment 8. The storage arrangements 9, 11, 13 are constructed in several parts. For example, the storage arrangement 9 has a plate-shaped adapter part or a hook element 15 as well as a basic refrigerated goods carrier 17 arranged underneath and an additional refrigerated goods carrier 19 attached to it. The two refrigerated goods carriers 17, 19 are each box-shaped drawers with a greater overall height h1 and a smaller overall height h2. A drawer is arranged in the lower drawer 19 of the storage arrangement 9 and can be pulled out in the installation depth direction y. The upper drawer 17 of the storage arrangement 9 is suspended from the underside of the topmost shelf 5 with the interposition of the plate-shaped adapter part 15. The second drawer 19, on the other hand, is mounted on the bottom wall 37 of the upper drawer 17.The basic structure of the additional storage arrangements 11, 13 is identical to the structure of the storage arrangement 9, with the exception of the different heights of the basic and additional refrigerated goods carriers 17, 19 used therein.

[0027] In the Fig. 2 and Fig. Figure 3 shows, by way of example, the structure of a storage arrangement consisting of two approximately identical refrigerated goods carriers. Accordingly, the plate-shaped adapter part 15 has a base plate 20 ( Fig. 3) and front and rear L-shaped retaining bars 21, 22 ( Fig. 2) which define mutually facing retaining grooves 23 into which the front and rear edges 25, 26 of the shelf 5 protrude. In this way, the adapter part 15 is reliably held on the underside of the shelf 5. On the side of the adapter part 15 facing away from the shelf 5, a drawer as a basic refrigerated goods carrier 17 is coupled to the adapter part 15 via a first connection point I. The first connection point I consists according to the Fig. 3 consists of two dovetail-like guide rails 27 running in the corner areas of the adapter part 15, which, in the manner of a tongue and groove connection, can be brought into positive engagement with precisely fitted receiving grooves 31 on the top wall 35 of the drawer 17. On the bottom wall 37 of the drawer 17, a second connection point II ( Fig. 3) is provided, to which the second drawer 19 is coupled. The second connection point II is identical to the first connection point I and is also constructed as a tongue and groove connection, in which two dovetail-like guide rails 27 engage in corresponding, precisely fitting receiving grooves 31 of the second drawer 19.

[0028] When installing the storage arrangement 9 in the refrigeration appliance, Fig. 3 First, the upper shelf 5 is removed from the cooling chamber 1 and the U-shaped adapter part 15 is pushed laterally onto the shelf 5 (assembly step A). ​​The shelf 5 with the adapter part 15 attached to it is then inserted into the cooling chamber 1. Depending on the customer's requirements, a range of devices ( Fig. 4) a refrigerated goods carrier is selected and pushed onto the guide rails 27 of the adapter part 15 as a basic refrigerated goods carrier 17 (assembly step B). Subsequently, in an assembly step C ( Fig. 3) another refrigerated goods carrier selected from the range of appliances is pushed onto the guide rails 27 of the base wall 37 of the basic refrigerated goods carrier 17 as an additional refrigerated goods carrier 19. The assembly steps A, B, C can be carried out in any chronological order. Fig. 3, additional locking elements can be provided to secure the refrigerated goods carriers 19, 17 in their installed position. The storage arrangements 9, 11, 13 can be freely moved in the device's lateral direction x according to customer requirements. In addition, all refrigerated goods carriers of the storage arrangements 9, 11, 13 are of the same width and have the same installation depth, which corresponds to the installation depth t. F of shelf 5.

[0029] The storage arrangement 9, like the other storage arrangements 11 and 13, is shown in a hanging design, in which the adapter parts 15 are each mounted on the undersides of the shelves 5 and are arranged at a distance a ( Fig. 1) are spaced apart from the underlying shelf 5. Alternatively, the storage arrangements 9, 11, 13 can also be provided in a vertical design if necessary. For this purpose, the respective adapter parts 15 are mounted on the top side of the shelf 5. The basic refrigerated goods carriers 17 and the additional refrigerated goods carriers 19 can then be brought into a positive connection with the adapter part 15 on the top side.

[0030] In the Fig. 4 shows an assortment of differently designed refrigerated goods carriers. The refrigerated goods carriers each have rails 27 or receiving grooves 31 on their upper sides 35 and lower sides 37, whereby the refrigerated goods carriers can be mounted one above the other in any order in the vertical direction z of the device on an adapter part 15. Each of the four refrigerated goods carriers is box-shaped with identical width and identical installation depth. The installation heights h1, h2 of the Fig. The refrigerated goods carriers shown in Figure 4 are designed differently. Fig. 4 refrigerated goods carriers shown above left are designed with a lower height h1 than the other refrigerated goods carriers, whose height is h2. As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, the refrigerated goods carrier can be a drawer with an integrated drawer, in which, for example, an egg tray is provided. In the storage space of another refrigerated goods container, for example, a can holder is provided, while in the storage space of a fourth refrigerated goods container, a bottle holder can be installed. Depending on the installation sequence, the Fig. 4 can be mounted as a basic refrigerated goods carrier 17 directly on the adapter part 15. Alternatively, the refrigerated goods carriers can also be attached as additional refrigerated goods carriers 19 in the storage arrangements 9, 11, 13 to already mounted basic refrigerated goods carriers 19. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 cold room 2 inner containers 3 side walls 4 Rear wall 5 shelves 6, 7, 8 storage compartments 9,11, 13 filing arrangements 15 Adapter part, hook element 17 basic refrigerated goods carriers 19 additional refrigerated goods carriers 20 base plate 21, 22 L-shaped edge bars 23 retaining grooves 25, 26 Front and rear edges of the shelves 5 27 rails 31 mounting grooves 35 Ceiling wall 37 floor wall A, B, C assembly steps a distance b width bra height t construction depth I first connection point II second connection point

Claims

[1] Storage arrangement for a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with a cooling chamber (1) which has at least one shelf (5), and with at least one refrigerated goods carrier (17, 19) which can be mounted on the shelf (5), wherein the refrigerated goods carrier (17, 19) can be suspended on both sides via a hook element (15) on opposite edges of the shelf (5), in particular on the front and rear edges (25, 26) of the shelf (5), characterized by that the hook element (15) is a separate adapter part which can be coupled to the refrigerated goods carrier (17) at a first connection point (I), and that the hook element (15) has the first connection point (I) on its side facing away from the shelf (5). [2] Storage arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the hook element (15) has two mutually facing retaining grooves (23) into which the opposite edge edges (25, 26) of the shelf (5) can be inserted. [3] Storage arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the hook element (15) is made of the same material as the refrigerated goods carrier (17, 19). [4] Storage arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the hook element (15) has a base plate (20) which is arranged plane-parallel to the shelf (5) and / or in contact with the shelf (5). [5] Storage arrangement according to claim 4, characterized by that the base plate (20) of the hook element (15) has edge webs (21, 22) which engage around the opposite edge edges (25, 26) of the shelf (5). [6] Storage arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that at the first connection point (I) form-locking elements (27, 31) of the hook element (15) and the refrigerated goods carrier (17) can be brought into engagement with one another. [7] Storage arrangement according to claim 6, characterized bythat the cooperating form-locking elements (27, 31) form a tongue-and-groove connection, in which the refrigerated goods carrier (17) can be pushed into or pulled out of the cooling chamber (1) in the installation depth direction (y). [8] Storage arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the construction depth (t) of the hook element (15) corresponds to the construction depth (t F ) of the shelf (5), and / or that the width of the hook element (15) is smaller than the width (b F ) of the shelf (5). [9] Storage arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that in a hanging version the first connection point (I) of the hook element (15) is arranged on the underside of the shelf (5), and / or in a standing version the first connection point (I) is arranged on the upper side of the shelf (5). [10] Storage arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the refrigerated goods carrier (17) has a second connection point (II) to which at least one further refrigerated goods carrier (19) can be coupled and / or that the first and second connection points (I, II) are of identical construction. [11] Storage arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the refrigerated goods carrier (17, 19) is a box-shaped container with a bottom wall (37) and a top wall (35), on each of which connection elements (27, 31) are provided for the first and second connection points (I, II). [12] Storage arrangement according to one of claims 5 to 11 characterized by that the side of the base plate (20) of the hook element (15) facing away from the shelf (5) is in contact with the ceiling wall (35) of the refrigerated goods carrier (17). [13] Refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with a cooling chamber (1) which has at least one shelf (5) and with at least one storage arrangement according to one of the preceding claims.

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