BILGIC, Ozgur (E5 Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34950, TR)
TUNCEL, Mustafa Atilla (E5 Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34950, TR)
YAVUZ, Resul (E5 Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34950, TR)
GULTEKIN, Ozgun Atac (E5 Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34950, TR)
BILGIC, Ozgur (E5 Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34950, TR)
TUNCEL, Mustafa Atilla (E5 Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34950, TR)
YAVUZ, Resul (E5 Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34950, TR)
| Claims 1. A refrigerator (1 ) comprising a body (2), a door (3) which provides access into the body (2) and more than one box shaped shelf (4) disposed in the door (3) one above the other, characterized by - elliptical rod (5) extending parallel to the side wall of the door (3) in the vertical direction, whereto the shelf (4) is mounted, - a circular bearing (6) which is located on the shelf (4) and wherein the rod (5) is seated, the diameter of which is at least as much as the long axis of the rod ( 5), and - a passage (8) located on the side wall of the shelf (4), one end of which opens to the bearing (6) and the width of which is almost as much as the short axis of the rod (5). 2. A refrigerator (1 ) as in Claim 1 , characterized by the rod (5), the edges of which that are parallel to the long axis thereof are flat, while the edges of which that are parallel to the short axis thereof are circular. 3. A refrigerator (1 ) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the shelf (4) which has a first position in which the long axis of the rod (5) aligns with the passage (8) and a second position in which the passage (8) aligns with the short axis of the rod (5) by the shelf (4) in the first position being rotated around the rod (5). 4. A refrigerator (1 ) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the passage (8) which opens to the short side wall of the shelf (4). 5. A refrigerator (1 ) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by more than one stopper (7) arranged at certain intervals along the rod (5) so as to encircle the rod (5) and against which the base of the shelf (4) bears. 6. A refrigerator (1 ) as in Claim 6, characterized by at least two stoppers (7) the distance between which is as much as the height of at least one shelf (4). 7. A refrigerator (1 ) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the rod ( 5) which is located on the side where the door (3) is pivotably mounted on the body (2). |
A REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A DOOR SHELF
[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising box shaped
shelves that can be mounted to and dismounted from the door
[0002] On the refrigerator door, at the inner side of the door, shelves, which
generally extend along the width of the door and which are arranged as one on the top of the other, are located. When tall items such as bottle are disposed on the shelf below, the upper shelf is required to be dismounted. Thus, the volume emptied by the dismounted shelf is utilized. Moreover, the shelves used in the door being box shaped and narrower than the shelves inside the body makes it difficult to load or unload and clean them. Therefore, the door shelves being easily dismountable from and
remountable to their places is one of the factors that creates consumer satisfaction.
[0003] In the state of the art, foldable or telescopic shelf assemblies are used in order to create flexible usage volume providing containers of several sizes to be stored.
[0004] In the state of the art International Patent Application No. WO2007091 148, door shelves mounted to the refrigerator door by hinges are explained.
[0005] In the state of the art German Patent Application No. DE10230508, the refrigerator comprising a shelf, the height of which is adjusted by mounting the shelf to a rod and moving it along the rod, is explained.
[0006] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a refrigerator
comprising door shelves which can be easily mounted and dismounted
[0007] The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises more than one box shaped shelf disposed in the door one above the other.
[0008] The shelves are mounted to a rod having an elliptical cross section and extending parallel to the side wall of the door. On the shelf, a circular bearing that provides the shelf to be mounted to the rod and a passage that joins the bearing and the side wall of the shelf are located. The rod is disposed into the bearing by being passed through the passage. While the width of the passage is as much as the short axis of the rod, the diameter of the bearing is as much as the long axis of the rod. Thus, when the shelf is rotated after the rod being passed through the passage that is when the short axis of the rod is not aligned with the width of the passage, removing the shelf from the rod is not possible.
[0009] The rod is preferably rectangular shaped with rounded corners. Thus, free movement of the rod inside the bearing during the rotation of the shelf is possible.
[0010] While the shelf is in the first position thereof, the long axis of the rod and the passage are aligned. In this position, the shelf is mounted onto the rod and can be moved by rotating. In the second position thereof whereto the shelf is brought by being rotated 90 degrees, the passage and the short axis of the rod are aligned. In this position, the shelf can be removed from the rod.
[001 1] The bearing and the passage extend along the side wall of the shelf and along the height of the side wall of the shelf. In other words, the base and the ceiling of the bearing and the passage are open. Thus, the upward, downward movement of the shelf on the rod is possible.
[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, stoppers, in circular protrusion form, are formed along the rod at certain intervals. The base of the shelf bears against the stopper and thus the upward, downward movement of the shelves on the rod is limited. The distance between the two stoppers is as much as the height of at least one shelf.
[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the rod is located on the side where the door is pivotably mounted onto the body. Consequently, the shelf remains in a position in which the user, facing the door, can see the inside of the shelf, when opened by rotating.
[0014] A refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached claims, where:
[0015] Figure 1 - is the schematic view of a refrigerator.
[0016] Figure 2 - is the perspective view of the door when the shelves are in the closed position.
[0017] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of the door when some shelves are removed from their place. [0018] Figure 4 - is the perspective view of the shelf and the rod at the removal position.
[0019] Figure 5 - is the perspective view of the shelves and the rod when
mounted to the rod.
[0020] Figure 6 - is the perspective view of the rod.
[0021] Figure 7 - is the perspective view of the shelf.
[0022] Figure 8 - is the top view of the shelf.
[0023] Fifure 9 - is the top view of the rod and the shelf when the shelf is
mounted to the rod.
[0024] Figure 10 - is the top view of the rod and the shelf when the shelf is
brought to the position to be removed from the rod.
[0025] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:
1. Refrigerator
2. Body
3. Door
4. Shelf
5. Rod
6. Bearing
7. Stopper
8. Passage
[0026] The refrigerator (1 ) of the present invention comprises a body (2), a door ( 3) which provides access into the body (2) and more than one box shaped shelf (4) disposed in the door (3) one above the other (Figure 1 , Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4).
[0027] The refrigerator (1 ), furthermore, comprises an elliptical rod (5) extending parallel to the side wall of the door (3) in the vertical direction, whereto the shelf (4) is mounted, a circular bearing (6) which is located on the shelf (4) and wherein the rod (5) is seated, the diameter of which is at least as much as the long axis of the rod (5), and a passage (8) located on the side wall of the shelf (4), one end of which opens to the bearing (6) and the width of which is almost as much as the short axis of the rod (5) (Figure 6, Figure 7 and Figure 8). When the shelf (4) is rotated after being mounted, the rod (5) can be mounted to the shelf (4) and dismounted therefrom easily, but the shelf (4) is prevented from being dislodged when being used after being mounted.
[0028] The edges of the rod (5) parallel to the long axis thereof are flat, while the edges thereof parallel to the short axis thereof are circular (Figure 6,
Figure 9 and Figure (10). Thus, since the circular edges are in contact with the inner wall of the bearing (6), while the shelf (4) is moved by rotating, movement is easily realized. Similarly, while the shelf (4) is mounted to the rod (5) and dismounted therefrom, this time the flat edges of the rod (5) contact the passage (8) edges and the shelf (4) is dismounted from its place by being pulled easily.
[0029] The shelf (4) is mounted to the door (3) by aligning the passage (8) inlet and the short axis of the rod (5) and by seating the rod (5) into the bearing (6) by being passed through the passage (8). The shelf (4) has a first position in which the long axis of the rod (5) aligns with the passage (8) and a second position in which the shelf (4) in the first position is rotated around the rod (5) and thus the passage (8) aligns with the short axis of the rod (5) (Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 9 and Figure 10). The passage (8) is a little narrower than the short axis of the rod (5) and can stretch to allow the rod (5) to be placed therein.
[0030] When the shelf (4) is in the first position, the edges above the long axis of the rod (5) that is seated into the bearing (6) contact the inner wall of the circular bearing (6). In this position, the shelf (4) cannot be dismounted from its place and can be brought to the second position by being rotated almost 90 degrees. Thus, since the access of the user into the shelf (4) is easily provided, the shelf (4) can be easily loaded, unloaded and cleaned.
[0031] The shelf (4) in the first position changes to the second position by being rotated almost 90 degrees around the rod (5). In this position, the rod (5) is provided to be dismounted from the bearing (6) by being passed through the passage (8) and the shelf (4) and the rod (5) are entirely detached from each other. Thus, the volume occupied by the dismounted shelf (4) can be utilized for placing a long item on the shelf (4) below.
[0032] The passage (8) opens to the short side wall of the shelf (4). Thus, the shelf (4) rotates around a point close to the short side wall thereof so as to have the long side wall thereof as the diameter.
[0033] The bearing (6) and the passage (8) extend from the top to bottom along the side wall of the shelf (4). Thus, the shelf (4) can move up and down along the rod (5) when mounted to the rod (5).
[0034] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1 ) comprises more than one stopper (7) arranged at certain intervals along the rod (5) so as to encircle the rod (5) and against which the base of the shelf (4) bears (Figure 3 and Figure 5). Consequently, the shelf (4) above is prevented from falling into the place of the shelf (4) or the shelves (4) dismounted from therebetween. The distance between the two stoppers (7 ) is as much as the height of at least one shelf (4).
[0035] In another embodiment of the present invention, the rod (5) is located on the side where the door (3) is pivotably mounted on the body (2) (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Thus, ergonomics of the shelf (4) is improved.
[0036] By means of the present invention, the shelves (4) mounted to the door (3) by means of the rod (5) are provided to be easily loaded, unloaded or cleaned by the user by being rotated almost 90 degrees. Moreover, by means of the present invention, it becomes possible to dismount one or more of the shelves (4) disposed one over the other without dismounting the others.
[0037] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the
embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.
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