Device for storing fruit

Abstract

Device (1) for storing fruit (2), characterized by - at least one hollow cylindrical bearing housing (3) which has an opening (4, 5) at each of its two axial end sections, - at least one locking unit (8, 9) with which one of the openings (4, 5) of the bearing housing (3) can be selectively closed or at least partially released, - at least one further locking unit (8, 9) with which the other opening (4, 5) of the bearing housing (3) can be selectively closed or at least partially released, wherein - on the storage housing (3) and / or on at least one of the closing units (8, 9) at least one optically and / or haptically perceptible marking (13) is arranged, which indicates through which opening (4, 5) the fruits (2) are to be inserted into the storage housing (3) and through which opening (4, 5) the fruits (2) are to be removed from the storage housing (3).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a device for storing fruit. State of the art

[0002] For the purposes of this application, the term "fruit" refers to any plant fruit suitable for consumption. Such fruits, like avocados, persimmons, or the like, are purchased by consumers and usually stored for a while before consumption to ripen and / or for storage. This storage of fruit takes place outside of a refrigerator or in a specially optimized area within a refrigerator. A conventional device for storing fruit is known, for example, from DE 20 2020 005 071 U1. Disclosure of the invention

[0003] One objective of the invention is to provide an improved method for storing fruit.

[0004] This problem is solved by the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the figures, whereby these embodiments, either individually or in combination with at least two of them, can represent an advantageous and / or further developing aspect of the invention.

[0005] A device according to the invention for storing fruit has: - at least one hollow cylindrical bearing housing which has an opening at each of its two axial end sections; - at least one locking unit with which one of the openings of the bearing housing can be selectively closed or at least partially released; - at least one further locking unit with which the other opening of the bearing housing can be selectively closed or at least partially released; wherein - on the storage housing and / or on at least one of the closing units, at least one optically and / or haptically perceptible marking is arranged, indicating through which opening the fruit is to be inserted into the storage housing and through which opening the fruit is to be removed from the storage housing.

[0006] The device according to the invention comprises a hollow cylindrical storage housing that radially encloses a cylindrical storage chamber in which two or more fruits of a specific and identical type can be arranged exclusively in a row. The storage housing is designed such that none of these fruits can be arranged side by side in a plane transverse to a longitudinal central axis of the storage housing. The dimensions of the storage chamber in such a plane should be adapted to the respective dimensions of the fruits to be stored therein, in particular such that the dimensions of the fruits correspond to at least 51% of the corresponding maximum dimensions of the storage chamber.This means that the fruits can only be arranged in a single row in the storage housing, depending on the difference between the dimensions of the fruits and the dimensions of the cross-sectional area of ​​the storage space, either in a linear row or in a serpentine row.

[0007] A user of the device according to the invention can identify, based on at least one marking on the storage housing and / or on at least one of the closing units, which opening of the storage housing the user should use to insert fruit into the storage housing and which opening the user should use to remove fruit from the storage housing. Freshly purchased fruit, which from the user's perspective still needs to ripen, can thus always be inserted into the storage housing through one of the openings, while ripe fruit can always be removed from the storage housing through the other opening. This ensures that the user always removes the fruit from the storage housing that has been in the housing the longest and is therefore optimally ripe.

[0008] Furthermore, the device according to the invention eliminates the need for a conventionally required and tedious search for fruit in various areas of a refrigerator, for example in a drawer thereof, and a haptic or manual examination of the fruit to determine its respective degree of ripeness in order to find the fruit with the highest degree of ripeness.

[0009] The marking can be visually perceptible. It can include a colored and / or pictorial / graphic / symbolic representation that indicates to the user which opening to insert the fruit into the storage housing and which opening to remove the fruit from the storage housing. For the purposes of this application, a pictorial / graphic / symbolic representation should also include a representation in the form of lettering or a word.

[0010] Alternatively or additionally, the marking can be designed to be haptically perceptible. This allows the marking to be perceived by a visually impaired user as well. The marking can, for example, be designed as at least one raised area or at least one indentation, or as a pattern of raised areas and indentations, or as a combination of at least one raised area and at least one indentation.

[0011] According to one alternative, the marking can be located exclusively on the bearing housing. Alternatively, at least two different markings can be located on the bearing housing, each corresponding to one of the openings, and these markings, due to their differences, can be clearly and unambiguously marked for the aforementioned purpose.

[0012] According to another alternative, the marking can be located on one of the closing units to indicate, for example, the opening in the storage housing through which fruit is always to be inserted into or removed from the storage housing. In a variation of this alternative, the other closing unit can also be marked with a further marking, which is noticeably different from the marking on the other closing unit. This allows the other opening in the storage housing, through which fruit is always to be removed or inserted, to be identified by the additional closing unit and the marking attached to it.

[0013] The bearing housing can, for example, have an annular, elliptical, oval, or polygonal cross-sectional area. The bearing housing is preferably rigid. To save material and reduce weight, the bearing housing can be thin-walled, such that the wall thickness of the bearing housing is many times smaller than the axial length of the bearing housing and / or the dimensions of the bearing space in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of the bearing housing. The bearing housing can, for example, be tubular.

[0014] The opening located at the respective axial end section of the bearing housing can be circular or have an elliptical, oval, or polygonal contour. The two openings of the bearing housing can be identical or different.

[0015] The respective closing unit can be designed such that it can be used to seal the respective opening of the bearing housing airtight. Alternatively, the respective closing unit can be designed or positioned in its closed position relative to the bearing housing in such a way that the bearing space of the housing is ventilated through the opening. For this purpose, at least one ventilation opening can be provided on the closing unit, for example.

[0016] The device according to the invention can be used, for example, for storing fruit such as avocados or the like. The device according to the invention can be designed such that it can be arranged in a refrigerator. In particular, the device can be stored in a drawer or in a beverage compartment of the refrigerator, for example, in an upright position. Alternatively, the device according to the invention can also be used outside of a refrigerator for storing fruit, depending on how quickly the ripening of the fruit in the device is desired.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment, at least one ventilation opening is provided on the storage housing. This ventilation opening allows for ventilation of the storage space within the housing. This can, in particular, prevent condensation and the rotting of fruit in the storage space. Furthermore, ventilation of the storage space can promote the ripening of the fruit stored therein. It is advantageous if at least one such ventilation opening is arranged on the storage housing, for example, in its axial end regions, to ensure airflow within the storage space, for example, by utilizing the chimney effect.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the ventilation opening is arranged at one of the axial end sections of the bearing housing. Preferably, the ventilation opening is arranged at the axial end section such that a fruit located in the bearing chamber of the bearing housing does not contact the bearing housing in an area bounding the ventilation opening. The distance of the ventilation opening to the axial end of the bearing housing nearest to it is preferably smaller than the inner diameter of the bearing chamber or the corresponding maximum dimension of a cross-sectional area of ​​the bearing chamber that, in one embodiment, is not cylindrical.

[0019] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the ventilation opening is designed as an axially extending elongated hole. This allows the ventilation opening to have a relatively small opening width, which, among other things, reduces the risk of particles or the like entering the storage chamber through the ventilation opening and / or escaping from the storage chamber into the surrounding area of ​​the device. Alternatively, the ventilation opening can have a shape other than an elongated hole. For example, the ventilation opening can have a round, in particular circular, oval, or elliptical, or polygonal opening surface.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment, several ventilation openings are formed on the bearing housing, arranged in a series with a circumferential offset from one another. The ventilation openings can, for example, be arranged uniformly with a circumferential offset from one another on the bearing housing. The number of ventilation openings allows the ventilation characteristics of the device to be influenced or optimally adapted to the respective application.

[0021] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one ventilation opening is provided on at least one closing unit. This ventilation opening allows for ventilation of the storage space within the housing. This can, in particular, prevent condensation and the rotting of fruit in the storage space. Furthermore, ventilation of the storage space can promote the ripening of the fruit stored therein. Alternatively, at least one ventilation opening can be provided on each of the two closing units to ensure airflow within the storage space, for example, by utilizing the chimney effect. The ventilation opening can, for example, have a round, particularly circular, oval, or elliptical, or polygonal opening surface.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the storage housing is designed as a straight hollow cylinder. This allows the device to be placed upright, for example in a refrigerator, meaning it is vertically aligned with the longitudinal center axis of the storage housing. The various markings can also be used to position the device on the axial end into which the newly purchased or less ripe fruit is inserted. This prevents the ripest fruit from being at the bottom when the device is set up and bearing the weight of the other fruit in the storage space. Such a situation could lead to pressure marks on ripe and therefore softer fruit, potentially causing unwanted spoilage of the fruit at the bottom.

[0023] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one locking unit has at least one locking cap that can be attached to the respective axial end section of the bearing housing. This represents a mechanically simple design of the device, in which the locking cap(s) can be completely removed from the bearing housing. When the locking cap is attached to the respective axial end section, there can be, for example, an interference fit between the locking cap and the axial end section, for example, by at least partially elastic deformation of the locking cap, for example, in the area of ​​a circumferential or annular connecting section of the locking cap.

[0024] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one locking unit has at least one locking cap that can be inserted into the respective axial end section of the bearing housing. This represents a mechanically simple design of the device, in which the locking cap(s) can be completely removed from the bearing housing. When the locking cap is inserted into the respective axial end section, an interference fit can be formed between the locking cap and the axial end section, for example, by at least partially elastic deformation of the locking cap, for instance, in the area of ​​a circumferential or annular connecting section of the locking cap.

[0025] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one external thread is arranged on at least one axial end section of the bearing housing, wherein at least one locking unit has at least one locking cap that can be screwed onto this axial end section and on which an internal thread is formed that can engage with the external thread of the bearing housing. This allows the locking cap to be positively connected to the bearing housing, making the device more robust compared to a device with locking caps that are merely pushed onto the axial end sections of the bearing housing. In this embodiment as well, the locking cap(s) can be completely removed from the bearing housing.

[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one internal thread is arranged on at least one axial end section of the bearing housing, wherein at least one locking unit has at least one locking cap that can be screwed into this axial end section and on which an external thread is formed that can engage with the internal thread of the bearing housing. This allows the locking cap to be positively connected to the bearing housing, making the device more robust compared to a device with locking caps that are merely placed on the axial end sections of the bearing housing. In this embodiment as well, the locking cap(s) can be completely removed from the bearing housing.

[0027] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one closing unit has at least one closing flap that can be pivotally arranged or is arranged on the respective axial end section of the bearing housing. The closing flap is permanently connected to the bearing housing via a pivoting mechanism. In its closed position, the closing flap can be secured to the bearing housing by a detent mechanism or the like to prevent it from moving out of its closed position uncontrollably.

[0028] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the closing unit has at least one spring element with which the closing flap is biased in the direction of its closed position, in which it closes the opening located on the axial end section of the bearing housing. The closing flap can be securely held in its closed position by means of the spring element. To at least partially release the opening, the closing flap can be manually pivoted against the action of the spring element, whereby the spring element generates a restoring force that acts in the direction of the closing position of the closing flap. When the closing flap is in the closed position, the spring element can already be partially elastically deformed in order to securely hold the closing flap in its closed position.

[0029] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the storage housing is at least partially transparent. This allows the interior or storage space of the housing to be partially or completely visible, so that a user can visually check whether a piece of fruit in the storage space needs to be removed, for example, if it is spoiling.

[0030] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the device is at least partially made of glass, plastic, metal, a metal alloy, or a composite material. Depending on the choice or combination of materials, this can give the device a very high-quality appearance. For example, the bearing housing can be made of transparent plastic or glass, while the locking units can be made of metal or a metal alloy. Such a locking unit can, for example, have an elastomeric sealing ring that, when the locking unit is in its closed position, can come into contact with the bearing housing to create an airtight seal around the opening of the bearing housing.

[0031] The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the attached figures and preferred embodiments, whereby the features explained below can represent an advantageous and / or further developing aspect of the invention both individually and in different combinations with one another. Brief description of the characters

[0032] It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic and perspective representation of an embodiment of a device according to the invention; and Fig. 2 a schematic and perspective representation of an embodiment of a device according to the invention. Detailed description of the characters

[0033] In the figures, identical or functionally equivalent components are marked with the same reference symbols. Repeated descriptions of such components may be omitted to avoid unnecessary repetition.

[0034] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic and perspective representation of an embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for storing fruits 2 indicated by dashed lines.

[0035] The device 1 has a hollow cylindrical bearing housing 3, which has a circular opening 4 or 5 at each of its two axial end sections. The bearing housing 3 is designed as a straight hollow cylinder such that the openings 4 and 5 are arranged parallel to each other and oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis 6 of the bearing housing 3. The bearing housing 3 is completely transparent and made of a plastic.

[0036] The bearing housing 3 has several ventilation openings 7 arranged in a series, offset from one another around its circumference. The ventilation openings 7 are located at one of the axial end sections of the bearing housing 3. Each ventilation opening 7 is designed as an axially extending elongated hole.

[0037] The device 1 also has a locking unit 8 with which one of the openings 4 of the bearing housing 3 can be selectively closed or at least partially released, and a further locking unit 9 with which the other opening 5 of the bearing housing 3 can be selectively closed or at least partially released.

[0038] At least one locking unit 8 or 9 has a locking cap 10 or 11 that can be attached to the respective axial end section of the bearing housing 3. At least one locking cap 10 or 11 is made partially or completely of a plastic, a metal, a metal alloy, or a composite material.

[0039] Alternatively, at least one external thread (not shown) can be arranged on at least one axial end section of the bearing housing 3, wherein at least one closing unit 8 or 9 can have at least one closing cap (not shown) that can be screwed onto this axial end section and on which an internal thread (not shown) can be formed that can be brought into engagement with the external thread of the bearing housing 3.

[0040] An optically and / or haptically perceptible marking 13 in the form of an arrow is arranged on an outer surface 12 of the storage housing 3. This marking indicates that the fruits 2 are to be inserted into the storage housing 3 via the opening 4 and removed from the storage housing 3 via the opening 5. The arrow symbolizes, in a sense, the sliding movement of the fruits 2 within the storage housing 3 when a new fruit 2 is inserted into the storage housing 3 via the opening 4.

[0041] The marking 13 can be designed as colored printing, as shapes or as indentations.

[0042] Fig. Figure 2 shows a schematic and perspective representation of an embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for storing fruits 2 indicated by dashed lines.

[0043] Device 1 differs from the one in Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, each closing unit 8 or 9 has a closing flap 14 or 15 pivotably arranged on the respective axial end section of the bearing housing 3. For this purpose, the respective closing flap 14 or 15 is connected to the bearing housing 3 via a hinge mechanism 16, which is shown schematically. Furthermore, each closing unit 8 or 9 has a spring element 17 with which the respective closing flap 14 or 15 is moved in the direction of its Fig. 2 shown closed position, in which it closes the opening 4 or 5 arranged on the axial end section of the bearing housing 3, is preloaded.

[0044] To avoid repetition, regarding the similarities with the one in Fig. The exemplary embodiment shown in 1 refers to the above description. Fig. 1 referred. Reference symbol list 1 Device 2 fruits 3 bearing housings 4 openings on 3 5 openings on 3 6 Longitudinal center axis of 3 7 ventilation opening at 3 8 locking units 9 locking unit 10 end caps out of 8 11 of 9 end caps 12 Outer surface area of ​​3 13 Mark 14 locking flap of 8 15 locking flap of 9 16 Swivel mechanism 17 Spring element 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 20 2020 005 071 U1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Device (1) for storing fruits (2), characterized by - at least one hollow cylindrical bearing housing (3) which has an opening (4, 5) at each of its two axial end sections, - at least one closing unit (8, 9) with which one of the openings (4, 5) of the bearing housing (3) can be selectively closed or at least partially opened, - at least one further closing unit (8, 9) with which the other opening (4, 5) of the bearing housing (3) can be selectively closed or at least partially opened, wherein - at least one optically and / or haptically perceptible marking (13) is arranged on the storage housing (3) and / or on at least one of the closing units (8, 9), which marking indicates the opening (4, 5) through which the fruits (2) are to be inserted into the storage housing (3) and the opening (4, 5) through which the fruits (2) are to be removed from the storage housing (3). [2] Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that at least one ventilation opening (7) is formed on the bearing housing (3). [3] Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized by that the ventilation opening (7) is arranged at one of the axial end sections of the bearing housing (3). [4] Device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the ventilation opening (7) is designed as an axially extending elongated hole. [5] Device (1) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by that a plurality of ventilation openings (7) are formed on the bearing housing (3), which are arranged in a row circumferentially offset from one another. [6] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that at least one ventilation opening is formed on at least one closing unit (8, 9). [7] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the bearing housing (3) is designed as a straight hollow cylinder. [8] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that at least one closing unit (8, 9) has at least one closing cap (10, 11) which can be plugged onto the respective axial end section of the bearing housing (3). [9] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that at least one closing unit (8, 9) has at least one closing cap which can be inserted into the respective axial end section of the bearing housing (3). [10] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that at least one external thread is arranged on at least one axial end section of the bearing housing (3) and that at least one closing unit (8, 9) has at least one closing cap which can be screwed onto this axial end section and on which an internal thread is formed which can be brought into engagement with the external thread of the bearing housing (3). [11] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized bythat at least one internal thread is arranged on at least one axial end section of the bearing housing (3) and that at least one closing unit (8, 9) has at least one closing cap which can be screwed into this axial end section and on which an external thread is formed which can be brought into engagement with the internal thread of the bearing housing (3). [12] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that at least one closing unit (8, 9) has at least one closing flap (14, 15) which can be arranged or is arranged pivotably on the respective axial end section of the bearing housing (3). [13] Device (1) according to claim 12, characterized by that the closing unit (8, 9) has at least one spring element (17) with which the closing flap (14, 15) is prestressed in the direction of its closed position, in which it closes the opening (4, 5) arranged at the axial end section of the bearing housing (3). [14] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by that the bearing housing (3) is at least partially transparent. [15] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by that the device (1) is made at least partially from a glass, a plastic, a metal, a metal alloy or a composite material.

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