Title: "LIQUID CONTAINERS FASTENING MODULE AND DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT".

Field of the invention

The present invention refers to a constructive arrangement able to provide a stable accommodation of liquid containers in a refrigeration equipment. More particularly, the invention refers to a module to be coupled in a compartment of a refrigeration equipment for domestic use, e.g., at the inner part of a domestic refrigerator door. In this module, liquid containers can be fitted in a stable and safe manner, thus preventing accidental shocks and drops thereof, caused by opening and/or closing of said domestic refrigerator door and by accidental bumps as well.

The present invention further refers to a refrigeration equipment for domestic use comprising the above-mentioned constructive arrangement. Description of the prior art Currently, most of refrigeration equipment, such as refrigerators and freezers for domestic use, do not allow safe and stable accommodation of liquid containers, mainly cups or chalices. When cups or chalices are placed in the door or any other compartment of a refrigerator, there is a risk of shock and/or drop of thereof when opening or closing said door or in case of accidental bump, which may occur in actions of placement and/or removal of other consuming items. The shock may happen with another cup, any other item or even any part of the own refrigerator compartment. This shock and/or drop causes undesirable break of cups and chalices, resulting in loss and disturbance to the user. Before this problem, some techniques are known providing a partial solution. For example, Japanese document JP 2000130925 describes an apparatus enabling accommodation of cups by means of two support rails, which can be assembled in the internal compartment of a domestic refrigerator. These support rails are spaced so as to allow the circular base of the cup to be associated therein, the container opening of said cup being turned downwards (inverted cup). Thus, in the solution proposed in that Japanese document, cups remain suspended under said rails through their

support bases. Although this solution allows the cups to be refrigerated and stored, one may not assure that cups will not bump with each other, as no kind of individual interlock is provided for each cup, and cups may slide over rails in occasional bumps by the user. North-American document US 4.700.849 describes a rack associable with an internal comportment of a refrigerator which may store beverage bottles and cups, thereby enabling the user to consume the beverage by using previously refrigerated cups. As it happens with the above-mentioned document JP 2000130925, the configuration revealed in this North-American document allows only to accommodate cups in a suspended manner in inverted position, but no fastening mechanism is provided to prevent cups from bumping with each other.

Thus, currently-known techniques only offer solutions to accommodate cups or chalices, aiming at a pre-refrigeration thereof. None of these techniques allow to accommodate cups and chalice inside a domestic refrigeration equipment in a stable, safe manner, free from risks of shocks and drops. Objectives of the invention

A first objective of the present invention is to propose a constructive arrangement which allows liquid containers (cups or chalices), arranged in a internal compartment of a domestic refrigeration equipment to remain accommodated in a stable and safe manner, even at the time of opening or closing the door of said refrigeration equipment and accidental bumps which may occur during placement and removal of consuming items. Thus, shocks among liquid containers or any other internal part of the domestic refrigeration equipment are prevented. Moreover, drops of these containers and the resulting loss and disturbance to the user are prevented as well.

A second objective of the present invention is to propose a refrigeration equipment for domestic use comprising the above-mentioned constructive arrangement. Summary of the invention

The first objective of the present invention is reached through the provision of a liquid container fastening module to be used in domestic refrigeration equipment, the liquid container being provided with at least one receptacle, a supporting rod and a support base associated with each other, the fastening module being provided with at least one means of fitting asso- ciable with the support base, the means of fitting comprising at least one fixed support and a mobile support associated with each other, the mobile support being able to apply tension to support base against the fixed support in order to lock the liquid container. The second objective of the present invention is reached through the provision of a domestic refrigeration equipment comprising at least one liquid container fastening module, the fastening module being as mentioned above. Brief description of the figures The present invention will be now described in more details, referring to attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the liquid container fastening module coupled to a refrigerator door, illustrating a cup (liquid container) accommodated in this module; Figure 2 represents a front view of the liquid container fastening module coupled to a refrigerator door, illustrating a cup (liquid container) accommodated in this module;

Figure 3 represents a perspective view of the liquid container fastening module, illustrating a detail of the means of fitting; Figure 4 represents a side cross-section view of the means of fitting of the liquid container fastening module, illustrating the situation prior to cup fitting (liquid container).

Figure 5 represents a side cross-section view of the means of fitting of the liquid container fastening module, illustrating the situation after the cup fitting (liquid container);

Figure 6 represents a partial perspective view of the liquid container fastening module, illustrating the situation prior to cup fitting (liquid

container);

Figure 7 represents a top view of the liquid container fastening module.

Detailed description of the invention Figure 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment, but not mandatory, of a fastening module 100 of liquid containers 200, which may accommodate six liquid containers 200 such as cups, chalices or any container provided with at least one receptacle 201 , a supporting rod 202 and a support base 203. Figures 1 , 2, 4, 5 and 6 show a cup representing the liquid container 200. The support base 203 has a substantially planar and circular format, however another format could be used, since it is proper for association (fitting and accommodation) to liquid container 200. The supporting rod 202 associates the receptacle 201 with support base 203.

Fastening module 100 is preferably a single plastic piece associable with an internal compartment of a domestic refrigeration equipment, such as a door of a domestic refrigerator or a domestic freezer. In this preferred embodiment, fixation module 100 is installed in a coupled manner (fitted) at the door of a domestic refrigerator 300 in inverted position (opening of receptacle 201 turned downwards), as illustrated in figures 1 and 2. Thus, undesired residues (liquid and/or particles) can be eliminated from the inner part of the receptacle 201.

However, the fastening module 100 can be installed in the door of the domestic refrigeration equipment 300 at any direction, e.g., in normal position (opening of liquid container 200 turned upwards). The way of instal- lation the fastening module 100 may be further performed according to other methods, e.g., by means of fastening elements such as screws and nuts or further through adhesive glues.

The fastening module 100 is provided with at least one means of fitting 111 that, in turn, is provided with at least one fixed support 101 and a mobile support 102 associated with each other, preferably as a single piece. The fixed support 101 comprises a fitting opening 103, in which the support base 203 of the liquid container 200 can be associated (fitted). This fitting

opening 103 comprises at least one first end 104, a second end 105, a third end 109 and a fourth end 110 associated with each other. The first and second ends 104, 105, are arranged oppositely with each other, the distance among them defining the transversal extension of the fitting opening 103. The third and fourth ends 109, 110 are arranged oppositely with each other, the distance among them defining the front longitudinal extension of the fitting opening 103. Thickness of the support base 203 of the liquid container 200 should be lower than or equal to the transversal extension of the fitting opening 103, in order that the association between the liquid container 200 and the fastening module 100 becomes possible. The first end 104 comprises a slot substantially "U"-shaped to facilitate the fitting of support base 203 of the liquid container 200. The second end 105 comprises a substantially rectangular slot, in order to allow angular movement to mobile support 102. Mobile support 102 comprises at least one first flexible element 106 and a second flexible element 107 associated with each other, and the conjoint action of these elements allows to lock the liquid container 200 in the fastening module 100, by tensioning (pressing) the supporting base 203 of the liquid container 200 against the fixed support 101. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a cross-section of the fastening module 100 and a cup (liquid contai- ner 200) respectively before and after the fitting (interlock). Terms "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" as used hereunder refer to views illustrated in these figures.

The first flexible element 106 has a substantially rectangular and planar format and can move angularly around its articulating axis to allow association (fitting and accommodation) and dissociation (unfitting) of the support base 203 of the liquid container 200 regarding the fitting opening 103. At the fitting action, the first flexible element 106 moves angularly toward a first direction (in this case, counterclockwise) in order to allow the entrance of the support base 203 of the liquid container 200. After insertion of the liquid container 200, the first flexible element 106 returns to initial position through an angular movement toward a second direction (in this case, clockwise), opposite to the first one. At the unfitting action, the first flexible

element 106 also moves angularly toward a first direction (counterclockwise) in order to allow removal of the support base 203 of the liquid container 200. After removal of the liquid container 200, the first flexible element 106 returns to initial position through an angular movement toward a second direction (clockwise), opposite to the first one.

The second flexible element 107 has a format substantially rectangular and planar, and it is associated with the first flexible element 106 through one of its ends, thus forming and acute angle with the first flexible element 106, thereby characterizing a ramp-type configuration. The second flexible element 107 can also move angularly at fitting and unfitting actions of the support base 203 of the liquid container 200. At the fitting action, the second flexible element 107 moves angularly toward a first direction (in this case, clockwise) to allow the entrance of the support base 203. After insertion of the liquid container 200, the second flexible element 107 remains ar- ranged parallel with the support base 203 of the liquid container 200. In this situation, the second flexible element 107 applies tension (pressure) to the support base 203 of the liquid container 200 against the first end 104 of the fixed support 101 , thereby providing interlock of the liquid container 200. At the unfitting action, the second flexible element 107 moves angularly toward a second direction (in this case, counterclockwise) to allow removal of the support base 203. After removal of the liquid container 200, the second flexible element 107 returns to initial position.

The mobile support 102 further comprises at least one front wall 108 which can prevent sliding of the support base 203 of the liquid container 200. This front wall 108 is an extension of the first flexible element 106 bent in a right angle. Thus, the first flexible element 106 associated with the front wall 108 has a transversal "L"-format.

The fastening module 100 may comprise a plurality of means of fitting 111 , and in this preferred embodiment illustrated by figures 1-3, six means of fitting 11 1 are used.

After describing an example of preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention covers other possible

variations, limited only by contents of the attached claims, the possible equivalents being included therein.