Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02425469 2003-04-15
BRACKET FOR SUPPORT BASES IN HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a bracket for support bases in household
appliances, having at least one profiled rail, which is mounted, extending
substantially vertically, in a reception chamber of the household appliance,
and at
least one support element to which a support base is attached and which can be
selectively displaced along the profiled rail or can be fixed in place on the
profiled rail. The invention in particular relates to a bracket for support
bases in a
refrigerator or a freezer, or in an oven.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lt is desired in connection with such household appliances that the
height of the support bases, which are embodied as supports for refrigerated
or
frozen goods, or supports for baked or roasted goods, can be adj usted, so
that the
distance of the support bases in respect to each other, or to the bottom or
the
ceiling of the refrigerator, freezer or oven compartment can be set in
accordance
with the size of the goods to be supported.
There is no lack of suggestions in the prior art as to how the
support bases of household appliances can be made to be height-adjustable. For
example, EP-A-0 619 4(i4, which defines the species, discloses a refrigerator
with
a part of the body delimiting a refrigeration compartment on which the
refrigerator
door is hinged, and with shelves attached to the lateral wall of the
refrigerator.
Respectively two rails, which extend vertically and parallel with each other,
are
fastened on the lateral walls of the refrigerator for holding the shelves and
are
provided with snap-in recesses at predefined distances. Supporting elements
are
displaceably maintained in the rails, which can be selectively snapped into
the
snap-in recesses of the rails, so that the height of the shelves in the
refrigerator
compartment can be adjusted in steps. On their sides facing each other, the
supporting elements are provided with guide elements, which engage grooves in
the lateral front edges of the shelves, so that the shelves can be pulled out
of the
refrigerator compartment in the manner of drawers when the refrigerator door
is
open.
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A support arrangement for refrigerated goods in refrigerators is
furthermore known from EP-A-0 601 686, which has at least two profiled rails,
two support arms, which are releasably attached thereon and on which a support
plate for refrigerated goods is seated, as well as a transverse arm releasably
attached to the profiled rails, to which a smaller support plate for
refrigerated
goods is attached, which is displaceable in the horizontal direction. The
profiled
rails made of metal or plastic are secured by means of screws on the rear wall
of a
refrigerator in such a way that they extend in the vertical direction and are
spaced
apart from each other in the horizontal direction. Each profiled rail has a U-
shaped cross section and is provided over its length with a plurality of
evenly
spaced-apart slits. The slits are used for receiving hook-shaped ends of the
support arms, or of the transverse arm. In this prior art, the height of the
support
plates for the refrigerated goods can be adjusted in steps, the same as in a
commercially available shelf system, in that the support arms, or the
transverse
arm, are initially removed from the prafiled rails and are then suspended
again
with their hook-shaped ends in the appropriate slits at another location in
the
profiled rails.
Scissors mechanisms were also proposed for baking and roasting
ovens (DE-U-75 07 126), whose scissors legs can be Locked together at
different
angular positions in order to adjust the height of the baking or roasting good
support in steps, for which purpose a scissors leg is provided with a detent
neck
in the vicinity of the scissors joint, while the other scissors joint has a
curved
section with a plurality of catch recesses for the selective reception of the
detent
neck.
It is common to the above described known structures that the
height of the support bases can only be adjusted by means of relatively large
steps. Moreover, these support bases are hard to clean, in particular because
of
the catch recesses or slits required for the positive holding of the support
bases, in
which dirt can easily accumulate.
Finally, more elaborate drive mechanisms have also already been
proposed for the height adjustment of the support bases. For example, in the
construction described in EP-A-0 438 180, two support anus are provided for
seating a support base, which are guided, displaceable in the vertical
direction, in
associated profiled guide elements arranged in corners between the back wall
and
the lateral walls of a refrigerator. There, each support arm is embodied as a
housing for receiving a worm drive used for driving a pinion gear seated in
the
support arm. The pinion gear meshes with a section of a toothed rack on the
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profiled guide element assigned to the respective support arm, so that the
support
ann, and therefore the support base, can be adjusted in height by turning the
pinion gear via the worm drive. Although this construction allows a
substantially
continuous height adjustment of the support bases, it is relatively elaborate,
so
that it considerably increases the cost of the refrigerator.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Based on the prior art in accordance with EP-A-0 619 464, for
example, the object of the invention is based on creating a bracket for
support
bases in household appliances which is designed to be as simple as possible
and
is easy to clean and permits a more flexible adjustment of the height of the
support bases in contrast to the species-defining prior art.
This object is attained by means of the features recited in claim 1.
Advantageous, or practical further developments of the invention are the
subject
of claims 2 to 14.
In a bracket for support bases in household appliances, having at
least one profiled rail mounted, substantially vertically extending, in a
reception
chamber of the household appliance, and at least one support element on which
a
support base is mounted and which can be selectively displaced along the
profiled
rail or can be fixed in place on the protiled rail, in accordance with the
basic
concept of the invention the support element can be fixed in place
substantially
positively in respect to a movement along the profiled rail.
Because of this embodiment of the fastening of the support
element on the profiled rail, catch recesses or slits in the profiled rail can
be
omitted, so that the profiled rail can have a continuous, or smooth, and
therefore
easy to clean surface. Furthermore, the support element can be fixed in place
in
any arbitrary height position on the profiled rail, i.e. in the course of a
height
adjustment of the support base, there is no restriction to height positions
preset in
steps by the position of catch detents or slits, such as is the case in the
above
described prior art.
Continuing the basic concept of the invention, in accordance with
an embodiment alternative of the positive fastening recited in claim 2, the
support
element can be fixed in place on the profiled rail in the manner of a
frictional
locking mechanism. For this purpose the support element has a first contact
area,
which can be placed against a front side of the profiled rail facing the
support
base, and a second contact area, which can be placed against a back of the
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profiled rail at a location which lies higher than the contact location in the
first
contact area at the front of the profiled rail. As a result, the support
element is
maintained on the profiled rail by static. friction, wherein the dead weight
of the
support element, of the support base and of the goods possibly deposited on
the
support base generates a torque at the support element, which is supported
over
the contact areas on the profiled rail. The forces F~>, which in the course of
this
have been exerted by the contact areas on the profiled rail and act normally
in
respect to the profiled rail, cause reaction forces F.> which, acting in the
direction
of the longitudinal extension of the profiled rail, maintain the support
element on
the profiled rail, i.e. counteract the dead weight of the support element, of
the
support base and of the goods possibly deposited on the support base, and
whose
value corresponds to the product of the normal force F~~ and the coefficient
of
static friction mu~.
In accordance with the teaching of claim 3, with the previously
described embodiment alternative of dle positive fastening the support element
has a sleeve section forming the first and second contact areas in a simple
manner, which surrounds the profiled rail with play in such a way, that the
support element can be tilted in relation to the profiled rail between a
holding
position, in which the contact areas rest against the front, or back, of the
profiled
rail, and a displacement position, in which the support element can be
displaced
along the prof led rail. Thus, in the course of the height adjustment of the
support
base, the sleeve section is advantageously employed also for the defined
guidance
of the support element on the profiled rail.
In accordance with claim 4, a receiving cutout is provided on the
2~ side of the support element facing the front of the profiled rail, into
which a
tapered slide can be inserted which, in the inserted state, rests against the
support
element, as well as against the front of the profiled rail in order to secure
the
support element in the holding position against tilting in respect to the
profiled
rail. It is thus prevented in a simple way that the support element is
inadvertently
tilted out of the holding position into the displacement position, for example
by
lifting the support base, and then slides downward along the profiled rail.
In accordance with claim 5, the tapered slide can have a protrusion
on its side facing away from the profiled rail, which extends behind an
undercut
on the receiving cutout of the support element. There, the protrusion is used
in an
advantageous manner as a safeguard against loss of the tapered slide, wherein
in
the course of a height adjustment of the support base, it can be pulled out of
the
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receiving cutout of the support element only until the protrusion comes to
rest
against the undercut of the receiving cutout.
Claim 6 provides that the second contact area of the support
element is provided with micro-teeth, which can be brought into engagement
with
S complementary micro-teeth at the back of the profiled rail. The micro-teeth
are
intended to be used for the additional safeguarding of the support element
against
slipping along the profiled rail. The embodiment with micro-teeth is
particularly
recommended for applications in which, for example because of temperature or
moisture conditions, only a small coefficient of static friction mug is
provided, or
wherein the latter could become reduced.
Further pursuing the basic concept of the invention, a second
embodiment alternative of the positive fastening is disclosed in claim 7, in
accordance with which the support element can be fixed in place on the
profiled
rail in the manner of a clamp. For this purpose, the support element has a
slit and
a resiliently embodied sleeve section enclosing the profiled rail, which is
adjoined
by two legs extending on both sides of the slit, which can be moved toward or
away from each other from a holding position into a displacement position, and
vice versa, by means of an eccentric toggle mechanism wherein, in the holding
position, the sleeve section is clamped in place on the profiled rail, and in
the
displacement position snaps back in such a way that the support element can be
displaced along the profiled rail. With this fastening principle, too, which
is
similar to the principle of fastening a seat support in the frame tube of a
bicycle,
the support element is maintained on the profiled rail in a simple manner by
static
friction.
In accordance; with the teaching of claim 8, the sleeve section
advantageously has a cross-sectional shape of the inner circumference which,
in
cooperation with the cross-sectional shape of the outer circumference of the
profiled rail, in the holding position positively prevents the twisting of the
support
element in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal
extension of
the profiled rail, so that no additional components are required for this.
In principle, the support base can glued, riveted and/or screwed to
the support element. In view of a good and simple cleaning possibility,
however,
the embodiment in accordance with claim 9 is preferred, wherein it is provided
that the support base is releasably snapped together with the support element
by
means of at least one snap-on device. In accordance with the teaching of claim
10, the snap-on device there suitably has a plurality of resilient
protrusions, which
are fastened on the support element or embodied in one piece with it and
which,
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in the assembled state of the support base, extend through a through-bore in
the
support base and on their free ends are each provided with a snap-in
projection
extending behind the support base. It would also be conceivable to fasten the
protrusions to the support base, or to embody them in one piece with the
latter,
and to provide the associated, possibly undercut bores in the support element.
The support element usefully has an arm section as provided in claim 11, which
has a flat contact surface on which the support base rests, wherein the at
least one
snap-on device is formed in the area of this contact surface. In accordance
with
claim 12, a groove advantageously adjoins the contact surface of the arm
section
in the direction toward the profiled rail, which is embodied in the support
element
and is used for the positive reception of an edge of the support base. In this
way,
in the course of lifting the support base, the snap-on device only needs to
prevent
the support base from being inadvertently separated from the contact surface
of
the ann section. When the support base is pushed down, a separation from the
contact surface of the arm section is prevented by the groove.
In accordance with the teaching of claim 13, one end of the
profiled rail is releasably received in a cutout in the bottom of the
reception
chamber, while the other end of the profiled rail is releasably received in a
cutout
in the ceiling of the reception chamber, wherein the length of the profiled
rail is
less by a defined amount than the clear distance of the bottoms of the
cutouts, and
wherein this amount is greater than the depth of the cutout in the bottom of
the
reception chamber. By means of this design a dependable fastening of the
profiled rail in the reception chamber of the household appliance is provided
for
one. Furthermore, the profiled rail can be easily removed from the reception
chamber, for example for cleaning purposes, without the necessity for undoing
screws or the like.
Finally, claim 14 provides that the profiled rail advantageously
has a cross-sectional shape on the outer circumference which, in cooperation
with
the cross-sectional shape at the inner circumference of the cutouts,
positively
prevents the twisting of the profiled rail in the cutouts, so that no
additional
components are required for this either.
The invention will be explained in greater detail in what follows
by means of preferred exemplary embodiments, making reference to the attached,
partially schematic drawings.
3S
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective, partially cut plan view of a household
appliance for illustrating the installation situation of a bracket in
accordance with
the invention for support bases arranged in the reception chamber of the
household appliance,
Fig. 2 is a lateral view of a bracket for support bases in accordance
with a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, which is installed in the
reception chamber of a household appliance shown in section, and wherein a
support base support element in the manner of a frictional locking mechanism
can
be fixed in place on a profiled rail,
Fig. 3 is an enlarged representation of the detail III in Fig. 2 which
1 S illustrates how the upper end of the profiled rail of the bracket is
received in a
cutout in the ceiling of the reception chamber,
Fig. 4 is an enlarged representation of the detail IV in Fig. 2 which
illustrates how the lower end of the profiled rail of the bracket is received
in a
cutout in the bottom of the reception chamber,
Fig. 5 is a perspective broken-off longitudinal sectional view of
the bracket in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment,
Fig. 6 is a schematic broken-off longitudinal sectional view of the
bracket in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment, wherein the support
element of the bracket is in a holding position in which the support element
cannot be displaced along the profiled rail,
Fig. 7 is an enlarged representation of the detail VII in Fig. G,
which illustrates that in the holding position of the support element an upper
contact area of the support element rests against the back of the profiled
rail,
Fig. 8 is an enlarged representation of the detail VIII in Fig. 6,
which illustrates that in the holding position of the support element a lower
contact area of the support element rests against the front of the profiled
rail,
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Fig. 9 is a schematic broken-off longitudinal sectional view of the
bracket in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment similar to Fig. 6,
wherein the support element of the bracket is in a displacement position in
which
the support element is displaceable along the profiled rail,
Fig. 10 is an enlarged representation of the detail X in Fig. 9,
which illustrates that in the displacement position of the support element the
upper contact area of the support element is spaced apart from the back of the
profiled rail,
Fig. 1 I is an enlarged representation of the detail XI in Fig. 9,
which illustrates that in the displacement position of the support element the
lower contact area of the support element is spaced apart from the front of
the
profiled rail,
Fig. 12 is a broken-off longitudinal sectional view of a bracket in
accordance with the invention for support bases in a variation of the first
exemplary embodiment, wherein the upper contact area of the support element,
as
well as the back of the profited rail, are provided with complementary micro-
teeth, and a tapered slide is secured against loss on the support element at
the
front of the profiled rail,
Fig. 13 is a broken-off sectional view of the bracket in Fig. 12 in
accordance with the section line XIII - XIII in Fig. 12,
Fig. 14 is a broken-off sectional view of the bracket, magnified in
respect to the representation in Fig. 5, which illustrates how the support
base is
releasably fastened on the support element by means of a snap-on device,
Fig. 15 is a broken-off perspective plan view of the support
element in accordance with Fig. 14, in which the support base was removed for
showing the snap-on device more clearly,
Fig. 16 is a schematic perspective view of a bracket for support
bases in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the invention,
wherein the support base support element can be fixed in place on the profiled
rail in the manner of a clamp,
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Fig. 17 is a perspective cross-sectional plan view of the bracket of
the second exemplary embodiment in accordance with the sectional line XVII -
XVLI in Fig. 16,
Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional plan view of the bracket of the second
exemplary embodiment, wherein the support element is maintained in a holding
position by means of an eccentric toggle mechanism, in which the support
element is clamped in place on the profiled rail, and
Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional plan view of the bracket of the second
exemplary embodiment, wherein the support element is in its displacement
position, in which the support element can be displaced along the profiled
rail.
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