Various storage units have been developed with the aim of making it possible to facilitate the storage of items to be refrigerated inside the cooling device, particularly cans and bottles. These storage units can be mounted underneath or on top of the shelves situated in the interior of the cooling device, as well as onto the housing of the cooling device or the door of the cooling device.

In German Patent number 3039962 within the prior art, a storage unit divided by a wall into two sections is explained, wherein bottles are loaded through a loading aperture located in the upper surface and retrieved from a dispensing aperture in the bottom surface.

In another patent within the prior art, namely United States Patent number 4368625, a structure is explained that makes it possible for bottles situated in the freezing compartment of the cooling device to pass to an area of the cooling device possessing a higher temperature than the freezing compartment.

In the storage unit explained in European Patent Application number 0490693, bottles are loaded from above and retrieved from below.

In the dispensers explained in the patents/patent applications mentioned above, the opportunity only exists to retrieve whichever bottle is at the dispensing aperture located in the bottom surface. That is, one cannot choose one bottle from among many.

The aim of this invention is to develop a cooling device comprising a storage unit which makes it possible to store items to be refrigerated-particularly bottles and cans-and to retrieve items that are desired from among the stored items.

The cooling device realized in order to attain the object of this invention has been illustrated in the attached figures, where: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a storage unit; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a storage unit with cans placed inside it; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a storage unit, mounted inside the housing and with cans placed inside it; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a storage unit mounted onto a door.

Parts shown in the drawing numbered one by one as follows: 1. Cooling device 2. Main housing 3. Door 4. Storage unit 5. Housing 6. Dispensing aperture 7. Loading aperture 8. Retainer 9. Barrier 10. Recess 11. Protrusion The cooling device (1) comprises a main housing (2), in which items to be refrigerated are placed, a door (3) providing access from the outside to the interior of the main housing (2), and a storage unit (4) including the following: a housing (5), which makes it possible to store items to be refrigerated-especially bottles and/or cans-and which facilitates the retrieval of the particular can desired ; a

loading aperture (7), positioned on the housing (5), which enables the loading of the cans; and a dispensing aperture (6), which enables the retrieval of a can loaded by the user. The storage unit (4) also includes one or more retainers (8) made from a material that is of such flexibility as to provide one with the opportunity to retrieve one particular can from among those which have been loaded into the housing (5), whereby the aforesaid retainers (8) block the dispensing aperture (6) completely or partially and prevent the cans from becoming separated from each other, without stopping the dispensing process from taking place or preventing one from seeing the loaded products.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the retainer (8) comprises one or more recesses (10) and protrusions (11), which only bend in that part situated in front of the one of the cans loaded into the housing (5) that is actually desired, thereby enabling the removal of the can from the housing (5) without the other cans loaded in the housing (5) becoming detached from the housing (5) (Figure 1 and Figure 2).

The recesses (10) and protrusions (11) are preferably made in the shape of a finger, but they may have any shape, for example, that of a comb, a tooth or suchlike. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the retainer (8) can be cut up and used in pieces.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the storage unit (4) has been mounted vertically onto the main housing (2) or door (3) (Figure 3 and Figure 4).

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are one or more barriers (9) on the surface facing the dispensing aperture (6). These help to hold at designated intervals the cans which have been loaded through the loading aperture (7) and make it easy for the user to grasp the can with a finger or hand.

A can is loaded through the loading aperture (7) into the storage unit (4), which is preferably installed vertically inside the cooling device (1). Having passed

through the loading aperture (7), the can drops freely as a consequence of the force of gravity down through the storage unit (4) and falls into place within the storage unit (4). A second can that the user may wish to place in the storage unit (4) undergoes the same movement and falls into place on top of the can inserted previously. Other cans are also placed in this way one on top of the other inside the storage unit (4). When the retrieval of one of the cans loaded into the storage unit (4) by the user is desired, the can can easily be grasped and pulled outwards from inside the storage unit (4). During this pulling process, the protrusions (11) comprised in the retainer (8), which only bend in front of the can that the user wishes to take, facilitate the exit of the can from the storage unit (4) through the dispensing aperture (6). The cans on top take the place of the can discharged to the exterior.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the dispensing aperture (6) can also be used as a loading aperture (7).

In another embodiment of the invention, the storage unit (4) can be fitted in a sloping or horizontal manner, just as it can be fitted vertically onto the main housing (2) or door (3). The planes used in the first case may be the same as, or different from, the planes used in the second case.

The storage unit (4) can be fixed to the interior of the cooling device (1)- <BR> <BR> especially to the main housing (2) or door (3) -using screws and similar fastening elements, or it may be fixed with adhesive.

With the help of the storage unit (4) located inside the present invention, the cooling device, it is possible to store cans in particular and to remove the desired can from the storage unit (4).