Cover for a drawer, and vacuum drawer device with a cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530870-B2
Application number	US-201916963170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2019
Priority date	Jan 18, 2018
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

To configure existing drawers as evacuable drawers of a vacuum drawer device, a cover for installation in the drawer body can be used. The cover evacuates at the drawer interior with an evacuation system, so that the interior is evacuated when the drawer is closed and ventilated before the drawer is opened. The cover is airtight, is profiled in such that evacuation with a controller, a pump and a valve are fixedly integrated in at least one recess in the cover and the cover has at least one air channel leading into the inside of the cover or, respectively, into the at least one recess, with the air channel operatively connected to the evacuation system such that when the cover is placed onto the drawer, air from the interior can be pumped out of the interior, the inside of the cover interior or, respectively, the at least one recess through the air duct.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cover for installation in a drawer body, the cover including an evacuation system and arrangeable so as to be operatively connectable to a linearly movable drawer for evacuating at least one drawer interior by the evacuation system, so that the at least one drawer interior is evacuated when the drawer is in a closed position and is ventilated before the drawer is opened,
wherein the cover is designed to be airtight when operatively connected to the drawer,
wherein the evacuation system is in the form of a controller, a pump and a valve secured in the cover,
wherein the cover has at least one air channel leading into the inside of the cover, with the air channel operatively connected to the evacuation system such that, when the cover is placed on the drawer, air from the at least one drawer interior is pumpable out of the at least one drawer interior and the inside of the cover through the air channel,
wherein lifting means arranged operatively connected to the drawer body and at least partially in the inside of the cover are connected to the controller so that the cover is secured such that the cover can be lifted and lowered in an aligned manner relative to the drawer body in a lifting direction perpendicular to the drawer movement direction of the drawer, and
wherein the lifting means are servo motors or lifting magnets integrated inside the cover or, respectively, in at least one recess in the cover.

2. The cover according to claim 1 , wherein a side of the cover facing the at least one drawer interior is covered with an airtight membrane, which is provided with at least one air inlet opening completely crossing the membrane, such that a connection between the air inlet opening and the air channel is created.

3. The cover according to claim 2 , wherein a foam layer is inserted in the inside of the cover or, respectively, the at least one recess of the cover, the foam layer connected to the airtight membrane on the side facing the at least one drawer interior such that air can only be pumped out of the at least one drawer interior, which is closed in an airtight manner by the cover, through the at least one air inlet opening, through the foam layer and through the air channel.

4. The cover according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting means are servo motors and wherein each servo motor comprises a servo disc and a screw with a bearing sleeve.

5. The cover according to claim 1 , wherein a proximity sensor facing a front side of the drawer is arranged on or in the cover and is connected to the controller, so that a contact of the drawer can be detected by the proximity sensor and the vacuum in the at least one drawer interior can be generated or, respectively, relieved in a selectively controllable manner.

6. The cover according to claim 5 , wherein the proximity sensor is designed as capacitive sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a position sensor.

7. The cover according to claim 5 , wherein the proximity sensor is arranged inside the cover or in at least one recess on the cover.

8. The cover according to claim 1 , wherein a closed position sensor facing a front side of the drawer is arranged on or in the cover and connected to the controller so that the controller starts the evacuation system when the drawer reaches the closed position.

9. The cover according to claim 8 , wherein the closed position sensor is designed as an induction sensor or microswitch.

10. The cover according to claim 1 , wherein the cover is formed from a dimensionally stable MDF board with an airtight coating.

11. The cover according to claim 10 , wherein the airtight coating is in the form of a lacquer.

12. The cover according to claim 1 , wherein at least one UVC LED is arranged on the cover and is connected to the controller.

13. A vacuum drawer device, comprising a drawer which can be moved linearly in a drawer movement direction and has at least one drawer interior which can be closed by the cover according to claim 1 .

14. The vacuum drawer device according to claim 13 , wherein the drawer accommodates a plurality of Gastronorm containers, the interiors of which form the drawer interior, and the cover can be lifted and lowered and operatively connected on the edges of the Gastronorm containers so as to seal the interiors of the Gastronorm containers in an airtight manner.

15. The vacuum drawer device according to claim 13 , wherein the drawer is mounted in a drawer body so as to be linearly extendable and retractable by a drawer pullout/guide profile.

16. The vacuum drawer device according to claim 13 , wherein at least one humidity sensor is arranged in a container and/or in the drawer interior and is operatively connected to the controller.

17. The cover according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting means are lifting magnets.

Assignees

• Blum Gmbh Julius

Inventors

• Bertschi Daniel

Classifications

• A47B2210/08

  Covers or lids for sliding drawers · CPC title

• A47B77/08 Primary

  for incorporating apparatus operated by power, including water power; for incorporating apparatus for cooking, cooling, or laundry purposes · CPC title

• B65B31/00

  Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• A47B2088/901

  Drawers having a lifting mechanism · CPC title