Cabinet or cooling unit as well as method for adjusting the height of a shelf arranged on a support unit

Abstract

A cabinet or cooling unit (1) is described, comprising a support unit (2) for receiving a shelf (3), wherein the support unit (2) consists of supports (6) arranged on both sides below the shelf (3), each consisting of a support section (4) and a support section (5), each having a bearing pin (8) that can be inserted into a corresponding engagement contour (7) of the cabinet or cooling unit (1). The invention is characterized in that - the engagement contour (7) of the cabinet or cooling appliance (1) consists of a vertical slot (9) designed for height adjustment of the shelf (3) with several transverse slots (10) corresponding to the adjustable height positions of the shelf (3), - the engagement contour (7) is part of a groove (12) corresponding to each support (6) and designed as a recess in the back wall (11) of the cabinet or cooling unit (1). and - the engagement contour (7) is incorporated into at least one of the side walls (13, 14) of the groove (12) or is designed as a support rail forming the side wall. Furthermore, a method for adjusting the height of a support unit (2) located in a cabinet or cooling appliance (1) with a shelf is described.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cabinet or a cooling appliance as well as a method for adjusting the height of a shelf arranged on a support unit according to the preamble of independent claims 1 and 11.

[0002] There are already various solutions for adjusting the height of shelves in a cabinet or refrigerator. Most commonly, rail systems with integrated brackets are used, which are functional but not very aesthetically pleasing. Shelves are also frequently mounted on support brackets with two perpendicular legs. One leg is attached to or inserted into the back panel of the cabinet or refrigerator, while the other, running approximately perpendicular to the first, supports the shelf. These height adjustment methods are disadvantageous because openings must be created for inserting the support brackets; these openings are visible and therefore visually unappealing.Furthermore, such openings in the rear wall of a refrigerator's interior have hygienic disadvantages, as moisture and contaminants can accumulate in them. To prevent this, cover caps are sometimes retrofitted, which are pressed into the unused openings to create a tight seal. However, this requires additional material and installation effort.

[0003] Particularly in refrigeration appliances, it is known to provide several superimposed protrusions on the side walls of the interior, interrupted by guide slots, so that the respective shelf can be inserted into these guide slots and consequently rests on the protrusions below. Such a possibility for the height-adjustable arrangement of shelves in a refrigeration appliance is described, for example, in DE 10 2014 103 894 A1. A disadvantage of this design has been found to be that cleaning the protrusions and the guide slots between them is relatively time-consuming.

[0004] The invention therefore addresses the problem of creating a way to arrange shelves in a cabinet or refrigerator in a height-adjustable manner without significant effort. Furthermore, a method for implementing this height adjustment must be provided.

[0005] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a cabinet or a cooling unit and by means of a method for adjusting the height of a shelf arranged on the support unit, with the features of independent claims 1 and 11. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are described in the respective dependent claims.

[0006] A cabinet or cooling unit comprising a support unit for receiving a shelf, wherein the support unit consists of supports arranged on both sides below the shelf, each consisting of a support section and a bearing section, each having a bearing pin that can be inserted into a corresponding engagement contour of the cabinet or cooling unit, was further developed according to the invention in such a way that the engagement contour of the cabinet or cooling unit consists of a vertical slot designed for height adjustment of the shelf with several transverse slots corresponding to the respective adjustable height positions of the shelf, the engagement contour is furthermore part of a groove corresponding to each support, designed as a recess in the rear wall of the cabinet or cooling unit and the engagement contour is incorporated into at least one of the side walls of the groove.

[0007] According to the invention, a support is used which has a load-bearing section on which the shelf is arranged and, as a special feature of the invention, additionally has a support section projecting from this load-bearing section. In contrast to previously known solutions, the support here also has a bearing pin which is arranged at the apex between the load-bearing section and the support section and by means of which the height adjustment is implemented. The bearing pin of the support is moved within the vertical slot to the required height, whereby it is finally transferred into the transverse slot and assumes its final position there. Consequently, the bearing pins together with the transverse slots that receive them each form a bearing point or a joint about which the support can pivot.According to the invention, adjusting the height of a shelf in a cabinet or refrigerator is extremely simple with this design and can proceed as described below: -Raising the shelf inserted in the guides in the cabinet or refrigerator from its horizontal position into an upwardly inclined position, so that the support sections of the supports have a distance to their corresponding support surface, i.e. for example to the groove base of the groove in the back panel of the cabinet or refrigerator, -moving the shelf with the support towards the bottom of the groove until the support pins are transferred from the transverse slot to the vertical slot, -Vertical adjustment of the shelf to its new position and insertion of the bearing pins into the transverse slots provided there, whereby the support sections of the supports then come into contact with the bottom of the groove when the shelf has returned to its horizontal position.

[0008] With this invention, complex assembly work is no longer necessary.

[0009] By forming the engagement contour in a side wall of the groove integrated into the back panel, this engagement contour is no longer directly visible, which significantly improves the overall visual appearance of a cabinet or refrigerator equipped with the support unit. Furthermore, this measure has considerably improved cleaning options.

[0010] Alternatively, the grooves can also be designed as support rails concealed behind the back panel, forming the side walls of the grooves. Both variants allow for the concealed arrangement of the grooves required for adjusting the shelf height, resulting in a visually appealing design for a cabinet or refrigerator, as no exposed structures are visible to the user in the back panel.

[0011] A first embodiment of the invention also contributes significantly to this, in that the groove has an uninterrupted groove base, the color of which corresponds to the color of the back wall of the cabinet or cooling appliance.

[0012] To enable the shelf, along with its supports, to be removed from the rear panel of the cabinet or refrigerator, a further development of the invention provides that the width of the groove is at least twice as wide as the material thickness of the support section of the support, including the length of the bearing pins. It is important that the bearing pins of two laterally adjacent supports carrying a shelf are arranged on the same side. This allows the supports, together with the shelf mounted on them, to be moved within the groove against the direction of the bearing pins and subsequently removed from their bearings in the engagement contour.

[0013] It is in line with the invention to make the grooves in the rear panel of the cabinet or refrigerator as narrow as possible to reduce their visibility. With two support units inserted side-by-side in a groove, each holding a shelf, the groove may be so narrow that lateral movement of the support units to remove a shelf from the cabinet or refrigerator is not possible. In such a case, the support unit of a shelf is first moved up or down within the vertical slot until it is above or below the immediately adjacent support unit of the neighboring shelf. Then, by moving the support unit formed by the supports sideways, the shelf can be removed from the groove and thus taken out of the cabinet or refrigerator.

[0014] A very special embodiment of this proposed solution can be seen in the fact that the width of the groove is between 10 mm and 20 mm, preferably 12 mm, and the length of the bearing pins, including the material thickness of the support section of the support, is between 5 mm and 10 mm, preferably 7 mm.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is further proposed that the support comprises a bearing section and a support section, wherein the bearing section and the support section form an obtuse angle with each other. While previously known supports or bearing brackets mostly have a right angle, the special feature here is that the support according to the invention has a novel geometry. The obtuse angle is necessary to allow the support section to be positioned in the groove or against the rear wall of the cabinet or refrigerator, while the bearing section, which supports the shelf, assumes a horizontal position. The angle has a magnitude corresponding to the groove depth + 90°.

[0016] Furthermore, a highly advantageous solution of the invention consists in the fact that the horizontally extending support section of the support inserted into the engagement contour is designed to receive the shelf. In other words, this means that the support, in the area of ​​the support section, has, for example, a complementary shape to the shelf, so that the shelf can be inserted into this geometry and, advantageously, has at least lateral support on the support section. Of course, a geometry can also be provided that is designed like a frame and receives the shelf all around. Furthermore, the shelf and the supports can be formed as a single unit.

[0017] Another special feature, according to an advantageous solution of the invention, is that the support section, when inserted into the engagement contour, rests against the bottom of the groove in the cabinet or refrigerator. This support of the support section against a corresponding support section of the cabinet or refrigerator also explains why the support section has an obtuse angle between the load-bearing section and the support section. Only this measure ensures that the load-bearing section is arranged horizontally in the cabinet or refrigerator and, consequently, that the shelf resting on or inserted therein also runs horizontally. To adjust the shelf's height, it is first tilted upwards so that the support section no longer rests against the rear wall, allowing the support to move freely within the vertical slot, as previously described in more detail.

[0018] A further development of the invention provides that the vertical slots and the transverse slots formed therein are aligned at right angles to each other. Both the vertical slots and the transverse slots have a straight course. The transverse slots can point either towards the rear wall or towards the door opening of the cabinet or refrigerator, assuming that the door of the cabinet or refrigerator is located on the front side opposite the rear wall.

[0019] In contrast to the above, the transverse slot of the engagement contour can also have an arc-shaped profile in addition to the previously mentioned straight path. The arc shape is advantageous for facilitating the transfer of the bearing pins from the vertical slot into the transverse slot.

[0020] The inventive method for adjusting the height of a shelf arranged on a support unit is characterized by the following process steps: -Lifting the shelf inserted in the cabinet or refrigerator in the recessed contours from its horizontal position into an upwardly inclined position, so that the support sections of the supports have a distance to the bottom of the groove, -moving the shelf with the support towards the bottom of the groove until the support pins are transferred from the transverse slot to the vertical slot, -Vertical adjustment of the shelf to its new height position and insertion of the bearing pins into the transverse slots there, so that the support sections of the supports come into contact with the bottom of the groove when the shelf has returned to its horizontal position.

[0021] A cabinet or cooling unit according to the invention, with a previously described support unit for applying the method, has several shelves arranged next to and / or above one another on the associated support units, wherein at least one of these shelves is adjustable in the manner according to the invention.

[0022] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments shown do not represent a limitation to the variants depicted, but merely serve to illustrate a principle of the invention.

[0023] Identical or similar components are always designated with the same reference numerals. To illustrate the functionality according to the invention, the figures show only highly simplified schematic representations, omitting components that are not essential to the invention. However, this does not mean that such components are not present in a solution according to the invention.

[0024] It shows: Fig. 1: an example of the interior of a refrigerator viewed from the door side; Fig. 2: a perspective view of a shelf inserted into a cabinet or refrigerator by means of a support unit; Fig. 3: A frontal view of a shelf and a supporting unit that holds it, in partial section: Fig. 4: a support unit in a side view; Fig. 5: Several support units placed one above the other in a cabinet or in a cooling appliance, shown in a side view; Fig. 6: Several support units stacked on top of each other in a cabinet or a cooling unit, shown in a front view.

[0025] In the Fig. Figure 1 shows an example of the interior 16 of a cooling appliance 1, using a refrigerator as an example, viewed from the door side. This cooling appliance 1 has a door 17 that closes the interior 16 and in the Fig. Figure 1 shows the refrigerator in an open position. The interior 16 of the refrigerator 1 contains various storage options for the goods to be cooled, such as compartments or shelves and several shelves 3 arranged one above the other. The shelves 3 are supported by support units 2, which are releasably fixed in grooves 12 located in the rear wall 11 of the refrigerator 3. Within the grooves 12, the support units 2 can assume different height positions, thus allowing the position of the shelves 3 to be adjusted.

[0026] From the Fig. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a shelf 3 inserted into a cabinet 1 or a refrigerator by means of a support unit 2. The spatial view clearly illustrates that a groove 12 is cut into the back panel 11 of the cabinet 1, and that the view from the front of the back panel 11 only shows the base of the groove 15, which matches the color of the back panel 11, so that the continuous groove 12 is not visually apparent. Engagement contours 7 are incorporated into the side walls 13 and 14 of the groove 12, consisting of vertical slots 9 with transverse slots 10 projecting from them. Bearing pins 8, projecting laterally from the supports 6, engage in these engagement contours 7. The support sections 4 of the supports 6 hold the shelf 2. For this purpose, each support section 4 in the example shown is equipped with a recess so that the shelf 2 can be inserted precisely into the support section 4.To remove the shelf 3 from the cabinet 1 or refrigerator, the shelf 3 together with the support unit 2 that holds it is removed as shown in . Fig. The shelf 3 is shifted to the left, so that the bearing pin 8 engaging in the engagement contour 7 is disengaged. The shelf 3 can now be removed from the cabinet 1 or refrigerator together with the support unit 2.

[0027] In the Fig. Figure 3 shows a frontal view of a shelf 3 and a support unit 2 that holds it, in partial section, where only the bearing pins 8 are shown in section. As can be clearly seen, the support unit 2 consists of two supports 6, the upper support section 4 of which is designed to hold the shelf 3. In order to insert the shelf 3 flush into the support sections 4 of the supports 6, recesses are incorporated into the upper surface of the support sections 4 of the supports 6, corresponding to the geometry of the shelf 3. A special feature of the design according to Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3, the bearing pins 8 on the supports 6 each point in the same direction, meaning that the bearing pin 8 on the left in the figure is located on the inside of the support 6 and the bearing pin 8 on the right in the figure is located on the outside of the support 6. This results in the left support 6 resting with its inside against the side wall 14 of the groove 12 and the right support 6 resting with its outside against the side wall 14 of the adjacent groove 12. In this way, it becomes possible to move the entire support unit 2, consisting of the supports 6 and the shelf 3 mounted on them, laterally to the left within the grooves 12 until the bearing pins 8 disengage from the engagement contour 7. The shelf 3, together with the support unit 2, can then be removed from the cabinet 1 or refrigerator. The one on the right in the Fig. The bearing pin shown in Figure 3 also has a groove 18, by means of which additional fixing of the support 6 within the engagement contour 7 is possible. The bearing pins 8 are each located in the transition area between the bearing section 4 and the support section 5 of the supports 6.

[0028] The Fig. Figure 4 illustrates a further embodiment of a support unit 2 inserted into a cabinet 1 or a cooling unit in a side view. Here, the support 6 is designed as a type of support bracket, comprising a support section 4 and a support section 5 extending at an obtuse angle between 91° and 140°, preferably 120°, to the support section 4. The support section 4 has a geometry corresponding to the shelf 3 on its side receiving the shelf 3, so that the shelf 3 can be inserted into or placed on the support section 4. The support 6 has a bearing pin 8 at its apex between the support section 4 and the support section 5, about which the support 6 is pivotably mounted in the engagement contour 7.As previously described, the engagement contour 7 has an engagement geometry consisting of a vertical slot 9 and several transverse slots 10 projecting from it at approximately right angles. The engagement contour 7 is integrated into a recessed groove 12 in the rear wall 11 and into the side wall of this groove 12. Consequently, the engagement contour 7 is not visible to the user of the refrigerator 1 when viewed from the front of the rear wall 11 of the cabinet 1. Instead, the user sees the base 15 of the groove 12, which is a flat surface and the same color as the rear wall 11. Since the support 6 is pivotally mounted around the bearing pin 8 in the transverse slot 10 of the engagement contour 7, the support section 5 rests against the base 15 of the groove 12. In this position, shelf 3 is in a horizontal plane, which is achieved by the obtuse angle enclosed between the load-bearing section 4 and the support section 5 of the support 6.

[0029] In the Fig. Figure 5 shows several support units 2 stacked one above the other in a cabinet 1 or in a cooling unit, shown in a side view. The upper support unit 2 represents the installation position in the cabinet 1, in which the support section 5 of the support 6 rests against the groove base 15 of the groove 12, as previously shown in connection with the illustration of the Fig. 4 was described in more detail. The lower support unit 2 in Fig. Figure 5 shows a position in which the shelf 3, together with the support 6, has been raised in the direction of arrow A, allowing the bearing pin 8 to be guided out of the transverse slot 10, contrary to its orientation, and now located in the vertical slot 9. In this position, the support 6 can be raised or lowered vertically to another level until the bearing pin 8 is inserted into the transverse slot 10. The support 6 then returns to the position shown in the upper part of the image, in which the support section 5 is again supported against the bottom 15 of the groove 12, and the shelf 3 assumes its horizontal position. To reach this position, the shelf is moved downwards in the opposite direction to arrow A.

[0030] From the Fig. Figure 6 also shows two support units 2 arranged one above the other, with shelves 3 resting on them, although these are shown here in a front view. Since the grooves in the rear wall 11 of the cabinet 1 or refrigerator are designed to be as narrow as possible, it can happen that, with two support units 2 inserted side by side in a groove 12 to each hold a shelf 3, the groove 12 is so narrow that lateral movement of the support units 2 to remove a shelf 3 from the cabinet 1 or refrigerator is not possible. In such a case, the support unit 2 of a shelf 3 is first moved downwards within the vertical slot 9 as shown by arrow B in Figure 6. Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the support unit 2 is located below the immediately adjacent support unit 2 of the neighboring shelf 3. Subsequently, a lateral movement in the direction of arrow C can be performed. Fig.6 of the support unit 2 formed by the supports 6 with the shelf 3 are removed from the groove 12 and thus removed from the cabinet 1 or cooling unit. REFERENCE MARK LIST: 1 cabinet or refrigerator 2 carrying units 3 shelves 4 Support section 5 Support section 6 support 7 Intervention contour 8 bearing pin 9 vertical slots 10 transverse slots 11 Back panel 12 Nut 13 Side wall (of the groove) 14 Side wall (of the groove) 15 Groove 16 Interior 17 Door 18 groove (in the bearing pin) QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2014 103 894 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Cabinet or cooling unit (1) comprising a support unit (2) for receiving a shelf (3), wherein the support unit (2) consists of supports (6) arranged on both sides below the shelf (3), each supporting a support section (4) and a support section (5), and each supporting a bearing pin (8) that can be inserted into a corresponding engagement contour (7) of the cabinet or cooling unit (1), characterized by , that - the engagement contour (7) of the cabinet or cooling appliance (1) consists of a vertical slot (9) designed for height adjustment of the shelf (3) with several transverse slots (10) corresponding to the adjustable height positions of the shelf (3), - the engagement contour (7) is part of a groove (12) corresponding to each support (6) and designed as a recess in the back wall (11) of the cabinet or cooling unit (1). and - the engagement contour (7) is incorporated into at least one of the side walls (13, 14) of the groove (12) or is designed as a support rail forming the side wall. [2] Cabinet or cooling appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the groove (12) has an uninterrupted groove base (15) whose color corresponds to the color of the back panel (11) of the cabinet or cooling appliance (1). [3] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the width of the groove (12) is at least twice as wide as the material thickness of the support section (5) of the support (6), including the length of the bearing pins (8). [4] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the width of the groove (12) is between 10 mm and 20 mm, preferably 12 mm, and the length of the bearing pins (8) including the material thickness of the support section (5) of the support (6) is between 5 mm and 10 mm, preferably 7 mm. [5] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the load-bearing section (4) and the support section (5) of the support (6) form an obtuse angle with each other. [6] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the horizontally extending support section (4) of the support (6) inserted into the engagement contour (7) is designed to receive the shelf (3). [7] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the support section (5) is supported on the back side of the groove base (15) of the groove (12) of the cabinet or cooling unit (1) when the support (6) is inserted into the engagement contour (7). [8] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the vertical slots (9) and the transverse slots (10) formed therein are aligned at right angles to each other. [9] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the transverse slot (10) has a straight or arc-shaped profile [10] Cabinet or refrigerator (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cabinet or cooling unit (1) has several shelves (3) arranged next to and / or above one another on the associated support units (2). [11] Method for adjusting the height of a support unit (2) located in a cabinet or refrigerator (1) with a shelf (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following procedural steps: - Lifting the shelf (3) inserted in the cabinet or refrigerator (1) in the engagement contours (7) from its horizontal position into an upwardly inclined position, so that the support sections (5) of the supports (6) have a distance to the groove base (15), - Moving the shelf (3) with the support (6) towards the bottom of the groove (15) until the bearing pins (8) of the supports (6) are transferred from the transverse slot (10) into the vertical slot (9), - Vertical adjustment of the shelf (3) to its new height position and insertion of the bearing pins (8) into the transverse slots (10) located there, so that the support sections (5) of the supports (6) subsequently come into contact with the groove base (15) when the shelf (3) has returned to its horizontal position.

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