CN101963421B

CN101963421B - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: CN101963421B
Application number: CN200910181915.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 约根·芬克; 肖龙
Original assignee: BSH Electrical Appliances Jiangsu Co Ltd
Current assignee: BSH Electrical Appliances Jiangsu Co Ltd
Priority date: 2009-07-23
Filing date: 2009-07-23
Publication date: 2014-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 2029-07-23
Also published as: WO2011009788A1; EP2457040A1; CN101963421A

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator (1) comprises a refrigerator body(2) provided with storage compartments(3), doors(4) of the storage compartments(3) for selectively opening or closing the storage compartments, cover components(6) connected to the doors(4) and covering at least partial through holes(5) from the rear sides of the doors, and storage containers(9) connected to the rear sides of the doors(4), wherein the doors are provided with the through holes(5) penetrating the doors from the front to back. According to the suggestion of the invention, the storage containers (9) and the cover components are distributed along the longitudinal direction without interval.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

[ technical field ]

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator capable of storing articles on a door.

[ background art ]

U.S. patent application US2005/0132740A1 discloses a refrigerator. The door of the refrigerator includes a through hole penetrating the door in a front-rear direction and a bar door to selectively open or close the through hole from a front side of the door of the refrigerator. The refrigerator further includes a cover member attached to a rear side of the door to cover the through hole from the rear side of the door. The refrigerator door has several article storing racks set in the back side and separated from the cover element separately and may be installed to or detached from the refrigerator door independently. The articles to be cooled are arranged on the refrigerator door through the storage space defined by the storage shelves and the cover member. A distance is maintained between the top wall of the cover member and the bottom wall of the storage shelf immediately above the cover member, such distance causing longitudinal space of the refrigerator door to be wasted because the top wall of the cover member cannot store items.

[ summary of the invention ]

The invention aims to provide a refrigerator which can increase the using space of the refrigerator without increasing the external dimension of the refrigerator.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a refrigerator including a cabinet having a storage compartment; a door to selectively open or close the packing compartment, the door including a through hole penetrating the door in a front-rear direction; and a cover member connected to the door and covering at least a portion of the through hole from a rear side of the door; and a storage container connected to a rear side of the door; characterized in that the storage container and the cover element are distributed without gaps in the longitudinal direction.

Since the cover member and the storage container are longitudinally distributed without a distance therebetween, waste of a space used at the rear side of the door of the refrigerator is reduced, and thus the space of the refrigerator can be more fully utilized, which can be accomplished without increasing the outer size of the refrigerator.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention, individually or in combination with other features, are set forth in the following appended claims.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the storage container and the cover element share one wall.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover element comprises a top wall, and the storage container comprises a bottom wall formed by at least a part of the top wall and side walls connected to the top wall and extending upwards.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said top wall is parallel to a horizontal plane.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least a portion of the side wall and the top wall are integrally formed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side wall includes a main body portion formed integrally with the top wall and a decoration portion assembled to the main body portion separately from the main body portion.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of mounting portions for fixing the cover member to the door is included, wherein at least one of the mounting portions is provided on the storage container. Particularly preferably, at least one of the mounting portions is provided on the side wall.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage container is disposed higher than the through hole.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage space of the storage container is isolated from the through-hole.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover element comprises a rear wall arranged opposite and at a distance from the inner lining of the door, the rear wall and the inner lining forming a space therebetween in fluid communication with the through hole.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the top wall and the rear wall are integrally formed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rear wall has an opening and a door element selectively closing or opening the opening.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the door element comprises a closing means arranged to generate a force urging the door element towards a position where the opening is closed when the opening is opened.

The construction of the present invention and other objects and advantages thereof will be more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[ description of the drawings ]

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Wherein,

fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a bar counter door is opened.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention when a door is opened.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cover member forming a storage container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cover member forming a storage container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a sidewall of the storage container is exploded.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a door member of a cover member being opened according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[ detailed description of the invention ]

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a refrigerator 1 includes an insulated cabinet 2 defining a plurality of storage compartments 3. In this embodiment, the storage compartment includes a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment that are side-by-side on the left and right. The front end of the packing compartment 3 has an access opening for taking in or out articles. The access opening is selectively closed or opened by a door 4 connected to the cabinet 2.

It should be understood that the present invention should not be limited to a particular distribution of the storage compartments of the refrigerator, but that other variations are possible.

The door 4 includes an inner liner 16 facing the packing compartment 3 when the door 4 is in the closed state. The inner liner 16 may be made of plastic. The door 4 further includes a front panel 21 disposed opposite the inner liner 16. The inner liner 16 and the front panel 21 are spaced apart to form a thermally insulating space (not shown) having a layer of thermally insulating material therebetween.

The door 4 includes a through hole 5 extending from the front surface of the front panel 21 to the rear surface of the liner 16 to penetrate the door 4 from the front-rear direction. The door 4 further includes a home bar door 22 to open and close the through hole 5 from the front side of the door 4. In a normal case, the through hole 5 is closed by a home bar door 22 connected to the door 4 to reduce heat exchange inside and outside the refrigerator 1.

The refrigerator 1 includes a cover member 6 at a rear side of the door 4, the cover member 6 being provided to cover the through-hole 5 from the rear side of the door 4.

Referring to fig. 3 to 5 in conjunction with fig. 2, the cover member 6 is substantially a hollow cuboid structure, preferably made of transparent plastic. The cover element 6 comprises a rear wall 13 arranged opposite the lining 16 and at a predetermined distance from the latter, forming a space 7 between the lining 16 and the rear wall 13 in fluid communication with the through hole 5. The left and right side boundaries of the space 7 are formed by connecting walls 24 extending in the longitudinal direction and connecting the rear wall 13 and the inner liner 16. The upper boundary of the space 7 is formed by a top wall 8 of the cover element 6. The top wall 8, the rear wall 13 and the connecting wall 24 are preferably integrally formed.

The lower end of the cover element 6 is open and is connected to an upwardly open storage shelf 25. Storage shelf 25 includes a bottom wall (not shown) opposite top wall 8. Thus, the user can take out the items supported in the bottom wall of the storage rack 25 from the space 7 or store the items to be cooled in the storage rack 25 by opening the bar door 22. The lower end of the cover element 6 is preferably connected to the storage rack 25 in an engagement manner. In an alternative embodiment, storage shelf 25 may also be integrally formed with cover member 6.

In the present embodiment, the space 7 is not communicated with the storage compartment 3 when the door 4 is closed, so that the outside air and the cool air inside the storage compartment 3 do not substantially generate convection when the user opens the bar counter door 22. The space 7 is preferably arranged to be suitable for storing bottle-shaped articles, such as bottle-shaped objects or the like containing beverages.

In the present embodiment, the rear wall 13 has an opening 14 for accessing articles from the rear side of the door 4 and a door element 15 that selectively closes or opens the opening 14.

Preferably, the door element 15 is pivotally mounted on the cover element 6 and can rotate about a longitudinal axis between a closed position, in which the opening 14 is closed, and an open position, in which the opening 14 is fully open.

The cover element 6 is provided with a closing means arranged to generate a force urging the door element 15 towards the closed position when the opening 14 is opened. In this embodiment, the closed position comprises at least one magnetic element 19 with magnetic properties, such as a magnetic element 19 arranged at the edge of the opening 14 and/or on the door element 15. It will be appreciated that it is possible to provide both the edge of the opening 14 and the door element 15 with magnetic elements 19, or only one of them and the other with a metal element.

In an alternative embodiment, the closing means may also be formed by a resilient element, such as a torsion spring, connected to the rotational axis of the door element 15.

The refrigerator 1 includes a storage container 9 installed at a rear side of the door 4. According to the invention, the storage container 9 and the cover element 6 are distributed at a distance in the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, the storage container 9 is located above the cover member 6.

In the present embodiment, the storage container 9 includes a top wall 8 forming a bottom wall thereof and a side wall 11 connected to the top wall 8 and extending upward. The storage container 9 and the cover element 6 thus share a common wall.

Since the bottom wall of the storage container 9 is formed directly by the top wall 8 of the cover element 6, the bottom wall of the storage container 9 and the top wall 8 of the cover element 6 are distributed with no distance in the longitudinal direction. This is advantageous in that more space is available on the door 4.

The top wall 8 is preferably parallel to a horizontal plane so that articles can be smoothly stored in the storage space 10 defined by the storage container 9. The upper surface of the top wall 8 is preferably not smooth to reduce slippage of the items to be cooled within the container 9.

The side wall 11 of the storage container 9 may block the articles placed in the storage container 9 from sliding out of the storage container 9. In this embodiment, the side wall 11 is connected to the periphery of the top wall 8 to form a closed loop structure. However, in an alternative embodiment, the side wall 11 may be discontinuous, for example may be open on the side adjacent the inner liner 16. The side walls 11 preferably protrude upward along the edge of the top wall 8 to increase the receiving space of the storage space 10.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the side wall 11 comprises a main body portion 17 integrally formed with the top wall 8 and a decorative portion 18 assembled to the main body portion 17, wherein the decorative portion 18 is assembled with the main body portion 17 after being in a separate configuration. By providing decorative portions 18 having different shapes, colours and/or materials, storage containers 6 having different appearances can thus be obtained, which can be achieved with the same configuration of the main body portion 17.

In an alternative embodiment, all parts of the side walls 11 are formed in one piece with the top wall 8, so that the storage container 9 can be obtained in one and the same manufacturing step with the cover element 6.

The container 9 is provided with at least one mounting portion 12 for fixing the cover element 6 together with the container 9 to the door 4. Preferably, there are at least two such mounting portions 12. Preferably, the mounting portion 12 is formed on the sidewall 11 of the storage container 9.

In the present embodiment, the storage container 9 is disposed higher than the upper edge of the through hole 5 and is not communicated with the through hole 5, which is advantageous to prevent the user from interfering with the articles in the storage container 9 when the user opens the bar counter door 22 to access the articles in the space 7.

Claims

1. A refrigerator (1) comprising:

a box (2) having a storage compartment (3);

a door (4) to selectively open or close the packing compartment (3), the door (4) including a through hole (5) penetrating the door (4) from a front-rear direction;

a cover member (6) attached to the door (4) and covering at least a part of the through-hole (5) from the rear side of the door (4), and

a storage container (9) connected to the rear side of the door (4);

the storage containers (9) and the cover element (6) are distributed in the longitudinal direction without a distance;

characterized in that the cover element (6) comprises a top wall (8), the storage container (9) comprises a bottom wall formed by at least a part of the top wall (8) and a side wall (11) connected to the top wall (8) and extending upwards, wherein the side wall (11) comprises a main body portion (17) formed integrally with the top wall (8) and a decorative portion (18) assembled to the main body portion (17) after being constructed respectively with the main body portion (17).

2. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 1, characterized by the top wall (8) being parallel to the horizontal plane.

3. A refrigerator (1) comprising:

a box (2) having a storage compartment (3);

a storage container (9) connected to the rear side of the door (4);

characterized in that the cover element (6) comprises a top wall (8), the storage container (9) comprises a bottom wall formed by at least a part of the top wall (8) and side walls (11) connected to the top wall (8) and extending upwards,

further comprising a plurality of mounting portions (12) for fixing the cover member (6) to the door (4), wherein at least one of the mounting portions (12) is provided on the storage container (9).

4. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 3, characterized by at least one of said mounts (12) being provided on said side wall (11).

5. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 3, characterized by the side wall (11) and the top wall (8) being at least partially formed in one piece.

6. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 3 characterized by the side wall (11) comprising a main body portion (17) integrally formed with the top wall (8) and a decorative portion (18) separately configured from the main body portion (17) for assembly to the main body portion (17), the mounting portion (12) being formed by the main body portion (17).

7. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact that the storage container (9) is arranged higher than the through hole (5).

8. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized by the storage space (10) of the storage container (9) being isolated from the through hole (5).

9. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized by the cover element (6) comprising a rear wall (13) disposed opposite and at a distance from the inner lining (16) of the door (4), the rear wall (13) and the inner lining (16) forming a space (7) between them in fluid communication with the through hole (5).

10. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 9, characterized by the fact that at least a part of the container (9) is integral with the rear wall (13).

11. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 9, characterized by the rear wall (13) having an opening (14) and a door element (15) that selectively closes or opens the opening (14).

12. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 11, characterized by the door element (15) comprising a closing device arranged to generate a force urging the door element (15) towards a position where the opening (14) is closed when the opening (14) is opened.