Refrigerator comprising a plastic front frame

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9885202-B2
Application number	US-91956906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2006
Priority date	May 11, 2005
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerating device having a cooled goods compartment and a door. The cooled goods compartment is provided with a front frame that is made of a low heat-conducting material such as plastic or similar and is backed by a first magnet. A door seal that is fitted with a second magnet seals against the front frame in the closed position of the door. Opposite first poles of the two poles of each magnet face the contact area between the seal and the front frame while second poles face away from the contact area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerating device comprising:
a cooled goods compartment configured to receive goods to be cooled, the cooled goods compartment having a front frame, said cooled goods compartment having an opening comprising a pair of horizontal sides and a pair of vertical sides, said front frame disposed along each of the pair of horizontal sides and each of the pair of vertical sides; and
a door movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the cooled goods compartment, the door having a seal element comprising a pair of horizontal sides and a pair of vertical sides, each of the pair of horizontal sides and each of the pair of vertical sides of the seal element configured to be in sealing engagement with respective ones of the pair of horizontal sides and the pair of vertical sides of the front frame when the door is in its closed position, and the door being displaceable in a vertical direction relative to the cooled goods compartment within a predetermined height tolerance,
wherein the cooled goods compartment comprises a first magnet disposed within each of the pair of horizontal sides of the front frame and the door comprises a second magnet disposed within each of the pair of horizontal sides of the seal element,
wherein the first magnet has a pole and an oppositely signed pole and the second magnet has a pole and an oppositely signed pole,
wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are oriented such that the pole of the first magnet adjacent the second magnet has a sign opposite a sign of the pole of the second magnet adjacent the first magnet,
wherein the oppositely signed pole of the first magnet faces away from the second magnet and the oppositely signed pole of the second magnet faces away from the first magnet,
wherein one of the first magnet and the second magnet is taller than the other in a vertical direction at least to the extent of said predetermined height tolerance to ensure overlap between the first magnet and the second magnet within the range of said predetermined height tolerance when the door is in the closed position to maintain the sealing engagement between respective ones of the pair of horizontal sides of the front frame and the pair of horizontal sides of the sealing element,
wherein the door comprises a third magnet disposed within each of the pair of vertical sides of the seal element and the cooled goods compartment comprises a fourth magnet disposed within each of the pair of vertical sides of the front frame,
wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet each has a pole and an oppositely signed pole, and
wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are oriented such that the poles of the third magnet are adjacent to respective poles of the fourth magnet having signs opposite to signs of the poles of the third magnet when the door is in the closed position, irrespective of vertical displacement of the door relative to the opening of the cooled goods compartment.

2. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the door and the cooled goods compartment are joined with at least one multi-link hinge to allow the door to move between the open position and the closed position.

3. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the door comprises at least one shelf to hold goods to be cooled in the cooled goods compartment when the door is in the closed position.

4. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the door is displaceable in a vertical direction relative to the opening of the cooled goods compartment due to displacement of the at least one multi-link hinge caused by loading of the at least one shelf.

5. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the predetermined height tolerance between the door and the opening of the cooled goods compartment is greatest at a side of the door laterally opposite from the at least one multi-link hinge.

6. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cooled goods compartment includes a metallic inner container and a metallic outer skin and the front frame of the cooled goods compartment is configured to link the metallic inner container to the metallic outer skin, and
wherein the front frame is formed of a material having a relatively low thermal conductivity compared to the metallic inner container and the metallic outer skin.

7. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet have substantially equal cross-sectional dimensions.

8. A refrigerating device comprising:
a cooled goods compartment configured to receive goods to be cooled, the cooled goods compartment having a front frame, said cooled goods compartment having an opening comprising a pair of horizontal sides and a pair of vertical sides, said front frame disposed along each of the pair of horizontal sides and each of the pair of vertical sides; and
a door movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the cooled goods compartment, the door having a seal element comprising a pair of horizontal sides and a pair of vertical sides, each of the pair of horizontal sides and each of the pair of vertical sides of the seal element configured to be in sealing engagement with respective ones of the pair of horizontal sides and the pair of vertical sides of the front frame when the door is in its closed position,
wherein the cooled goods compartment comprises a first magnet disposed within each of the pair of horizontal sides of the front frame and the door comprises a second magnet disposed within each of the pair of horizontal sides of the seal element,
wherein the first magnet has a pole and an oppositely signed pole and the second magnet has a pole and an oppositely signed pole,
wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are shaped, dimensioned, and oriented such that the pole of the first magnet, having the same sign as the pole of the second magnet, are not adjacent one another when the door is in the closed position and displaced in a vertical direction relative to the opening of the cooled goods compartment,
wherein a height difference between the first magnet and the second magnet in the vertical direction is at least the extent of a predetermined height tolerance between the door and the opening of the cooled goods compartment to ensure overlap between the first magnet and the second magnet within the range of said predetermined height tolerance when the door is in the closed position to maintain the sealing engagement between respective ones of the pair of horizontal sides of the front frame and the pair of horizontal sides of the sealing element,
wherein the door comprises a third magnet disposed within each of the pair of vertical sides of the seal element and the cooled goods compartment comprises a fourth magnet disposed within each of the pair of vertical sides of the front frame,
wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet each has a pole and an oppositely signed pole, and
wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are oriented such that the poles of the third magnet are adjacent to respective poles of the fourth magnet having signs opposite to signs of the poles of the third magnet when the door is in the closed position, irrespective of vertical displacement of the door relative to the opening of the cooled goods compartment.

9. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the door and the cooled goods compartment are joined with at least one multi-link hinge to allow the door to move between the open position and the closed position.

10. The refrigerating device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the door comprises at least one shelf to hold goods to be cooled in the coole

Assignees

• LAIBLE Karl Friedrich
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• LAIBLE Karl Friedrich

Classifications

• F25D23/087

  Sealing strips · CPC title

• F25D23/085

  Breaking strips · CPC title

• E05C19/161 Primary

  magnetic gaskets · CPC title