THEREOF

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is in the field of cooling devices. A cooling device is a device capable of keeping an inner temperature, that is the temperature at an inner space defined by its body and a closure means in a closed position, lower than the ambient temperature, such as a refrigerator or a freezer. The cooling device may achieve this goal by transferring heat from the inner space to the external environment by using a heat pump and by keeping said inner space thermally insulated when the closure means is in the closed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the art, when the closure means of the cooling device, for example a door or a drawer, is in the closed position, the inner space is sealed by means of a seal or a gasket. The gasket is in general attached to the closure means in order to be pushed against a rim defining an opening to said inner space. Typically, the gasket has resilient, flexible properties and is for example made of rubber or the like. Because of these resilient properties, the inner space of the cooling device is closed air tightly.

A problem of such a cooling device is that the gasket gets dirty easily and it is difficult to be cleaned, which might be a source of bacterial contamination causing deterioration of the food stored in the inner space. This problem can be especially important for demanding cooling devices, for example cooling devices used in restaurants or supermarkets that are subjected to public health regulations.

It is an object of the invention to alleviate the above mentioned problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the invention relates to a cooling device comprising

i) a body comprising an opening to the inner space of the cooling device, the opening being defined by a rigid rim; and

ii) closure means capable of moving between

· a closed position in which the closure means separates the inner space of the cooling device from an ambient atmosphere; and

• an open position in which the closure means is in a position other than the closed position,

characterized in that the rim is in abutment with the closure means all along said rim when said closure means is in the closed position and the section of said closure means being in abutment with the rim is rigid.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a closure means for a cooling device, the closure means comprising

i) an inner face for facing an inner space of a cooling device when said closure

means is part of said cooling device and said closure means is in a closed position; and

ii) retaining means for keeping the closure means in the closed position, the retaining means comprising a member capable of keeping said closure means in the closed position due to a magnetic force

characterized in that the inner face has a parallelepiped shape, and the member of the retaining means is embedded in the closure means and disposed relatively close to a vertex of said inner face.

Finally, a third aspect of the invention relates to the use of a cooling device for storing food within its body at a temperature lower than the temperature outside said body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The first aspect of the invention concerns the cooling device according to the preamble of claim 1 characterized in that the rim is in abutment with the closure means all along said rim when said closure means is in the closed position and the section of said closure means being in abutment with the rim is rigid. In this way, the closure means of the cooling device can be cleaned more easily and is less susceptible to getting dirty.

Both the body and the closure means of the cooling device comprise preferably a thermally insulating material. In the present invention, a thermally insulating material is understood to be a material commonly used in the manufacturing of cooling devices to reduce the transfer of heat to the inner space of said cooling device. For instance, a thermally insulating material can comprise a polyurethane and/or polystyrene, typically in the form of a foam. The body and or the closure means may also comprise a finish, for example a stainless steel finish or a veneer provided with a pattern or design.

The closure means comprises an inner face facing the body when the closure means is in the closed position, and an outer face facing away when said closure means is said closed position. In the present application the rim of the body of the cooling device is the section of said body that defines the opening to the inner space of the cooling device. The closure means comprises an inner face, part of which is in abutment with the rim of the body. So the inner face of the closure means comprises a section that is in abutment with the rim when said closure means is in the closed position. It is preferred that this section is planar. In this way, the presence of interstices between the closure means and the rim is reduced. The closure means may not be enclosed, may be partly enclosed or may be fully enclosed within the walls of the body.

Depending of the configuration of the cooling device, the closure means can be in the form of a door, a lid and/or in the form of a drawer. The rim is preferably extending in a plane transverse to the horizontal. When the plane is tilted with respect to the vertical, the closure means can be kept in the closed position by gravity.

Both the rim and the section of the inner face of the closure means that is in abutment with said rim are rigid. Rigid means that the respective regions do not change in shape and/or do not deform when pressure is exerted upon these regions when the cooling device is in use, such as when the closure means is in the closed position. It is understood that the cooling device according to the invention does not comprise a gasket in either the rim or the closure means. The section of the closure means in abutment with the rim and/or the rim are preferably made of a polymeric material resistant to abrasion, e.g. a high molecular polyethylene (HMPE) or a polyamide. The rim and/or the section of the closure means in abutment with said rim may also be at least partly metallic. The cooling device may also comprise an electric ribbon to increase the temperature along the rim to facilitate the opening of the closure means.

In an embodiment, the cooling device comprises retaining means for keeping the closure means in the closed position by a magnetic force. The retaining means comprises a first member capable of exerting the magnetic force and a second member capable of being attracted to the magnetic force. In this way, the retaining means also contributes to make the closure means less susceptible to getting dirty and said closure means can be cleaned more easily since mechanical parts can be avoided. The retaining means can be for example a combination of a magnet and a metallic plate capable of being attracted by a magnet, or a combination of two magnets. The magnet of the retaining means can be present in either the closure means or in the body of the cooling device or in both. For example, if the magnet is present in the closure means, the rim can be made of metal, for example stainless steel type 430, that is capable of interacting with the magnetic field generated by the magnet.

In an embodiment, the closure means comprises the magnet of the retaining means. In this way, the magnet of the retaining means can be replaced more easily when needed.

In an embodiment, the member of the retaining means is embedded in the closure means. In the present application embedded means that the magnet does not protrude from the inner face of the closure means. In this way, the presence of edges or irregularities in the section of the closure means in abutment with the rim is reduced.

In an embodiment, the member of the retaining means is spaced from the inner face of the closure means in such a way that said member is capable of i) exerting a magnetic force on the rim through said closure means or ii) being attracted by a magnetic force exerted by the retaining means through said closure means. In this way, the section of the closure means in abutment with the rim is a continuous section, and the presence of protrusions or irregularities can be avoided.

In an embodiment, the inner face comprising the section of the closure means in abutment with the rim has a parallelepiped shape, and the member of the retaining means is relatively close to a vertex or corner of said inner face of the closure means. In this way the presence of interstices between the closure means and the rim of the body is even more reduced. Further, the inner face is easier to clean, since said inner face is planar. In general the inner face has a square or rectangle shape. It is preferred that the retaining means of the cooling device comprises 4 members, each of said members being relatively close to each of the four vertices defined by the section of the closure means in abutment with the rim. Relatively close means that the distance of the member to the vertex is 30% or less of the distance of said vertex to an adjacent vertex, preferably 20% or less, and more preferably 10% or less.

The second aspect of the invention relates to a closure means according to the preamble of claim 11 , wherein the section of the inner face being in abutment with the rim of the body has a parallelepiped shape, and the member of the retaining means is embedded in the closure means and disposed relatively close to a vertex of said inner face. In general, the inner face has a square or rectangular shape and the retaining members has at least four members, each of them relatively close to each of the four vertex or corners of the closure means defined by said inner face in order to reduce the presence of gaps or interstices between the section in contact with the rim when said enclosure means is part of the cooling device. The term relatively close has the same meaning as describer in a previous aspect. The inner face comprises a material resistant to abrasion, in general a polymer such as a high molecular polyethylene (HMPE) or a polyamide.

In an embodiment, the member of the retaining means is a magnet. The magnet keeps the closure means in the closed position by the interaction with a second member present in the body of the cooling device, for example a piece of metal, another magnet or the body itself (e.g. a metallic body or rim).

In an embodiment, the magnet is an electromagnet. Thus, the retaining means can be used also to lock the closure means in the closed position.

In an embodiment, the closure means comprises a thermally insulating material, as described in the previous aspect.

The present invention also envisages a combination of the previous mentioned embodiments. The cooling device according to the invention may also comprises the features of the closure means and vice versa.

Finally, the third aspect of the invention relates to the use of the cooling device of the previous aspect for storing goods under a lower temperature than the ambient temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show aspects of one or more embodiments of said invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a body for a cooling device.

Fig. 2a is a front view of a closure means for the body according to Fig. 1.

Fig. 2b is a top view of the closure means depicted in Fig. 2a.

Fig. 2c is a side view of the closure means depicted in Fig. 2a.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional top view of an embodiment of a cooling device comprising the body depicted in Fig. 1 and the closure means depicted in Fig. 2, the closure means being in an open position.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional top view of the cooling device depicted in Fig. 3, the closure means being in a closed position.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the closure means for the cooling device depicted in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional top view of a different embodiment of a cooling device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It should be noted that items which have the same reference numbers in different figures, have the same structural features and the same functions. Where the function and/or structure of such item has been explained, there is no necessity for repeated explanation thereof in the detailed description.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments.

Fig. 1 depicts a front view of a body 100 for a cooling device according to the invention, in the present embodiment a refrigerator body 100 being accessible from a lateral front side rather than from a top side. The refrigerator body 100 comprises a structure made of nylon and filled with polyurethane foam having a density of 35 kg/m ³ to get a thermally insulating body 100. The body 100 also comprises an outer stainless steel finish 170.

The refrigerator body 100 comprises an inner space wherein food can be stored, and an opening 110 to said inner space. The opening 110 is defined by a rim 120 extending, in use, in a plane transverse to the horizontal. The rim comprises a plate made of stainless steel type 430, providing said rim 120 with magnetic properties. This function will be explained later. The refrigerator body 100 also comprises two sliders 190.

Figures 2a, 2b and 2c depict a closure means 200 according to the invention. The closure means 200 comprises a first panel 210, a second panel 220, and four magnets 240 embedded in the second panel 220, each of said magnets 240 being relatively close to each of the four vertices of said closure means 200. The function of the magnets 240 will be explained later.

The first panel 210 is for example made of nylon and filled with polystyrene foam having a density of 35 kg/m ³ to get a thermally insulating closure means 200. The first panel 210 defines the outer face 211 of the closure means 200, said outer face 211 comprising for example a stainless steel finish or a veneer provided with a pattern or design, and a handler 280 attached to it.

The second panel 220 is made of high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE), making said second panel 220 resistant to abrasion. Said second panel 220 defines an inner face of the closure means. The inner face comprises a first inner face 221 and a second inner face 222 protruding from the first inner face 221 through a third inner side 223. In the present embodiment, the outer face 211 , the first inner face 221 and the second inner face 222 are coplanar.

Figures 3 and 4 depict a cross-sectional top view of a cooling device 300 according to the invention, in the present embodiment a refrigerator 300. The refrigerator 300 comprises the refrigerator body 100 and the closure means 200.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the refrigerator door 200 is connected to the refrigerator body 100 by the two sliders 190 in such a way that the second panel 220 faces the refrigerator body 100 and the first panel 210 faces away said rim 120.

When the closure means 200 is in an open position (see Figure 3), the inner space of said refrigerator 300 is accessible to a user. Figure 4 depicts the refrigerator 300 when the closure means 200 is in a closed position. The closure means 200 is capable of moving between the open position and the closed position thanks to the two sliders 190, which allows the movement of said closure means 200 along an axis comprised in the horizontal. Consequently, since in the present embodiment the closure means 200 is connected to a tray 350 for storing food, said closure means 200 acts as the front of a drawer.

As depicted in Fig. 4, when the closure means 200 is in the closed position, the rim 120 is in abutment with a section of the first inner face 221 of the closure means 200 all along said rim 120, the second inner face 222 and the third inner face 223 being enclosed in the opening of the refrigerator body 100 in such a way that the said third inner face 223 is facing a section of said refrigerator body 100 relatively close to said rim 120. Therefore, since the rim 120 extends, in use, in a plane transverse to the horizontal, the first inner face 221 is coplanar to said plane when the closure means 200 is in the closed position.

The refrigerator 300 also comprises retaining means to keep the closure means 200 in the closed position. The retaining means comprises the rim 120 and the four magnets 240 embedded in the closure means 200. When the closure means 200 is in the closed position (Figure 4), the four magnets 240 exert a magnetic force to the plate of the rim 120 to keep said closure means 200 in the closed position since said plate is made of stainless steel type 430 and is attracted to said magnets 240. It is understood that the four magnets 240 are disposed in the closure means 200 in such a way that said magnets 240 are aligned with the rim 120 or relatively close to said rim 120 in order cause magnetic attraction to said rim 120 to keep the closure means 200 in the closed position. In order to move the closure means 200 from the closed position to the open position, the user only has to exert enough force, by using the handler 280, to overcome the magnetic attraction. Further, since each of the four magnets is relatively close to each of the vertices of the closure means, the presence of interstices between the first inner face 221 and the rim 120 is reduced, and there is no need of a gasket in either the closure means 200 or the rim 120. Further, since the panel 220 is made of HMPE, the section of the inner face in abutment with said rim is resistant to abrasion.

Fig. 5 depicts a detail of the closure means 200 comprising one magnet 240 embedded in said closure means 200. The second panel 220 defines a recess to allocate the magnet 240 in such a way that said magnet 330 is embedded in the closure means 200. Therefore, the magnet 240 does not protrude from the first inner face 221 and allows said first inner face 221 to be in abutment all along the rim 120 of the refrigerator body 100 when said the closure means 200 is in the closed position. It is evident to the man skilled in the art that said magnet 240 is embedded in such a way within the closure means 200 that it can exert a magnetic force to the rim 120 of the refrigerator body 100 to keep said refrigerator body in the closed position.

Fig. 6 depicts a cross-sectional top view of a different embodiment, in this case a refrigerator 600. In this embodiment the closure means 200 is hingedly connected to the refrigerator body 100 by a hinge 670 allowing said closure means 200 to rotate about said hinge 670 between the open position and the closed position. Therefore the closure means 200 acts as a door in this embodiment.

The present invention may be varied within the scope of the appending claims. For example, the door may comprise metallic plates and the body the magnets. The magnets may be electrical controllable magnets (e.g. an electromagnet), which is especially advantageous since said magnet may keep the closure means 200 not only in the closed position, but also in a locked position since said electrical controllable magnet can be used as a locking mechanism, preventing said closure means 200 from being opened by unauthorized users. Last, the third inner face 223 may be in abutment with a section of the body relatively close to the rim 120 when the closure means 200 is in the closed position.