Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
  • A47F7/00—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials
  • A47F7/28—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials for containers, e.g. flasks, bottles, tins, milk packs
  • A47F7/285—Show stands having fixation means, e.g. hanging means, slidable fixations, frictional retaining means, theft prevention
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B73/00—Bottle cupboards; Bottle racks
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
  • F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D31/00—Other cooling or freezing apparatus
  • F25D31/006—Other cooling or freezing apparatus specially adapted for cooling receptacles, e.g. tanks
  • F25D31/007—Bottles or cans
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
  • F25D2331/803—Bottles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
  • F25D2331/809—Holders

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a storage device for bottles having a neck, comprising at least one attachment member adapted to suspend the device under a shelf of a domestic refrigerator.
• domestic refrigerators are intended to contain food products contained in packaging or containers of variable shape and size.
• the space available in the enclosure of a domestic refrigerator being limited, there is a need for storage devices to optimize the space occupied in the refrigerator.
• the article-holding shelves are generally removably mounted in rails formed at different heights in the inner walls in order to adjust the spacing between two shelves. Even if we can reduce the space between two shelves given to store all the small products at a given level, this solution is only effective if we have a large number of articles of a minimum size, and is limited by the fact that the items must remain easily accessible.
• GB-A-2 158 705 discloses a storage device in the form of a net suspended by hooks to the rods forming a shelf and in which a bottle can be arranged in a supine position.
• this device is not entirely satisfactory, especially in the case where it is desired to store small bottles that have a height significantly less than the depth of the shelf and a diameter less than the width of a hand, because in this case access a small bottle arranged towards the rear end of the net is not easy.
• the present invention therefore aims to provide a storage device for bottles to optimize the space occupied in a refrigerator, without reducing accessibility to products stored in this device.
• the present invention relates to a storage device for bottles having a neck, of the aforementioned type, characterized in that it comprises a hollow distribution guide extending longitudinally from a rear end to a front end having a dispensing opening, the dispensing guide having an upper radial face provided with the attachment member, a lower radial face and a generally C-shaped cross section with an opening opening in the lower face, said opening having a width adapted to freely slide the narrowed portion of the neck of a bottle and for the longitudinal edges of the opening oriented towards one inside said guide form support rails on which bears the enlarged upper part of the neck of the bottle when it is suspended in the device, the support rails having a length of m oins equal to twice the diameter of the enlarged part of the neck.
• the body of the bottle remains clear and can be manually entered.
• the fact that the bottles are arranged one behind the other in relation to the opening of the refrigerator allows to have a more or less large number of bottles according to their diameter, to occupy substantially the entire depth of the refrigerator.
• the useful space occupied by it is very low since its height is small compared to the height of the bottles and it is located near the underside of a shelf. Also, the device can remain permanently in the refrigerator without actually harming the storage capacity of it.
• the attachment member comprises a groove adapted to be snapped onto a rod of circular section forming part of a shelf of a refrigerator, allowing a mounting without tools by simply pressing towards the underside of the shelf ;
• the fastening member is a single groove extending longitudinally in the upper face of the distribution guide and arranged in alignment with the center of the opening of the lower face, and the fastening member is not dependent on the spacing between the rods of the shelf and the storage device naturally remains in vertical position under the effect of the weight of the bottles;
• the device further comprises at least one adapter element having a connecting member adapted to be connected with the latching member of the distribution guide, and a fastening member adapted to engage with a shelf of a refrigerator , so as to adapt the device to different types of shelf without changing the distribution guide;
• the li-aison member of the adapter element is a rib adapted to slide with friction in the groove forming the hooking member of the distribution guide, so as to modify the position of the adapter element as a function of the shelf dimensions;
• the attachment member of the adapter element is a "U" hook having an opening oriented in the longitudinal direction of the distribution guide and adapted to engage the edge of a shelf of a refrigerator;
• the support rails of the distribution guide have, from the rear end to the front end, a downward inclination when the device is mounted in a refrigerator, so that the bottles slide naturally to the distribution opening; - At least one of the support rails has a stop near the end, which limits the sliding of the bottles beyond this end;
• the upper face of the distribution guide is a continuous and convex surface, which prevents the accumulation of dirt on the storage device and facilitates cleaning;
• the distribution guide has a notch adjacent to the rear end, which extends from the opening of the lower face to the upper face, to facilitate loading by the rear end of the guide and thus distribute first the bottles them older;
• the distribution guide is extended from its rear end by a hollow loading guide having a section similar to the distribution guide and extending to a free end having a loading opening, said loading guide having a curvature adapted so that the loading opening is approximately oriented in the same direction as the dispensing opening, also for the purpose of delivering the oldest bottles firstly through the dispensing opening.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage device according to a first embodiment of the invention, which is suspended under a shelf of a refrigerator;
• FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a variant of the first embodiment comprising adapter elements;
• FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the storage device shown in Figure 1;
• - Figure 4 is a side view of the storage device shown in Figure 1;
• FIG. 5 is a top view of a storage device according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• identical references have been retained to designate identical or similar elements.
• FIG 1 is partially shown a refrigerator 1 having on the side walls 2 which define the refrigerated enclosure, horizontal flanges 3 arranged at different heights. On a pair of these flanges 3 rests a shelf 4.
• a shelf 4 In the example shown in Figure 1, it is a shelf formed of son or rods of circular section.
• the shelf 4 comprises a frame 5 and regularly spaced rods 6 which extend according to the depth of the refrigerated enclosure. As is usual, the rods 6 have a circular section with a diameter of about 3 mm.
• the bottles 7 have a capacity of about 10 cl, a height of 10 cm, an outside diameter of about 3 cm at the neck 8 and about 3.6 cm at the level of the neck. the collar. Note that these small bottles whose bottom diameter is approximately equal to the diameter of the collar, often pose stability problems when they are placed on the rods 6 of a shelf.
• the storage device 10 comprises a distribution guide 11 extending longitudinally from a rear end 12 located on the bottom side 9 of the refrigerated enclosure to a front end 13 located near the plane of the door frame not shown .
• the distribution guide 11 is in the form of a rectilinear profile formed in one piece of plastic material.
• the length of the distribution guide 11 is slightly less than the depth of the shelf 4, so that it extends over most of the depth of the refrigeration chamber.
• the distribution guide 11 has radial faces relative to its longitudinal axis, and in particular an upper radial face 11a which corresponds to the surface of the guide visible from above when the storage device 10 is suspended.
• the distribution guide 11 also has a lower radial face 11b, visible from below, which, in the embodiment shown, joins the upper face 11a due to the oval shape of the outer profile of the guide. But the distribution guide could have distinctly radial lateral faces distinct from the upper and lower faces in the case where it has a polygonal outer profile.
• the upper face 11a of the distribution guide 11 comprises an attachment member formed by a groove 14.
• the groove 14 has a profile in a circular arc adapted to engage with the rod 6 by snapping.
• the upper face 11a forms a convex continuous surface, presenting in the embodiment shown an ogival profile.
• a product disposed on the upper face of the shelf 4 comes to flow, it slides on the upper face 11a without accumulating. Due to this continuous convex surface and the fact that the attachment member is in the form of a groove flush with the top of this surface, the upper face 11a is particularly easy to clean, which makes it possible to comply with the conditions of use. hygiene required in a domestic refrigerator.
• the distribution guide 11 has a generally "C" -shaped cross-section along its entire length, so that the ends (12, 13) have longitudinally oriented openings, and in particular a distribution opening 16 at the front end 13.
• the cross section is arranged so that the opening of the "C" shape opens into the bottom face 11b of the guide, and preferably centrally with respect to this face.
• the profile of the distribution guide 11 thus defines an opening extending over the entire length of the guide and centered in the middle of the lower face 11b.
• the width of this opening is adapted according to the type of bottles intended for the storage device, so as to slide freely the narrowed part of the neck 8 of the bottles, but it must be smaller than the diameter of the enlarged upper part of the neck.
• the enlarged portion of the neck of the bottles rests on the support rails 17 and 18 so that the bottles are hung by their neck in the storage device 10 .
• the support rails (17, 18) extend over twice the diameter of the enlarged part of the neck so that the device storage box 10 may contain at least two bottles. But the support rails can extend over most of the relatively standard depth of the refrigerated chamber, so as to store a greater or lesser number of bottles depending on the dimensions thereof. For example, six bottles 7 are likely to be stored simultaneously in the distribution guide 11.
• the groove 14 is centered in the middle of the upper face 11a, and therefore located vertically above the center of the opening of the lower face 11b, so that the storage device 10 naturally takes a vertical position under the weight of the bottles 7. It is therefore not necessary that the organ hooking formed by the groove 14 rotates the storage device 10 relative to the rod 6 of the shelf.
• the groove 14 must simply hold the guide 11 on the rod 6 as the pull exerted down does not exceed a value significantly greater than the weight of 1 'set of bottles that can receive the storage device 10.
• the groove 14 can be designed so as to be hooked by snapping with a more or less significant game on shelf rods whose diameter varies substantially .
• the hooking member 14 could be made substantially differently, such as by "J" hooks extending upwards, or with the help of tabs forming a vertical elastic clamp which is adapted to grip the rod 6.
• the guide 11 is designed, in particular as a function of the height of the fastening element (s) and of the evolution of the cross section of the guide, so that the rails of FIG. support (17, 18) slope downwards from the rear end towards the front end.
• the rails of FIG. support (17, 18) slope downwards from the rear end towards the front end.
• the inclination of the rails (17, 18) is obtained by changing the cross section of the distribution guide 11 so as to increase its height from the rear end 12 to the front end 13 and this mainly by increasing the thickness of the material in the central portion of the section-shaped "C".
• abutments (19, 20) are formed on the support rails (17, 18) near this end 13.
• these stops (19,20) are in the form of studs projecting upwardly at the end of the support rails (17, 18). But these stops could be formed differently, for example in the form of an elastic tab extending from one rail to the other across the opening of the lower face.
• the distribution guide 11 has at its rear end a notch 22 visible in Figure 4.
• the notch 22 extends from the opening of the lower face 11b, so that the support rail 17 is interrupted at the level of this, and goes back to the upper face 11a to a height greater than the height of the neck portion inserted in the guide 11.
• the length of 1'échancrure, measured from the rear end 12 of the guide, is greater the diameter outside the cylinder 7. the notch 22 thus forms an opening for laterally loading bottles into the guide and thus in an easier way than by opening of the rear end 12 which is not visible when the storage device 10 is mounted in the refrigerator.
• the loading of new bottles on the side of the rear end 12 has the advantage of making available to the user at the dispensing opening 16, the bottles which have been arranged first. This allows a better management of the stock of bottles stored in the refrigerator by avoiding consuming a bottle whose expiry date is still distant, while are still stored bottles whose expiry date is closer.
• adapter elements are provided between the distribution guide 11 and the shelf 4 'which is here in the form of a glass plate.
• the adapter elements (24, 25) each comprise a connecting member 27 which is in the form of a rib having an omega profile adapted to be inserted into the groove 14 of the distribution guide 11, and an attachment member ( 28, 29) in the form a "U" hook which is adapted to engage the edge of the shelf 4 '.
• the connecting member 27 of each of the adapter elements (24, 25) is preferably shaped to be able to slide with friction in the groove 14, so as to insert the opening of the fastening members (28, 29) in "U” shape. "by sliding of the adapter element and adjust the position of these adapter elements according to the depth of the shelf 4 '.
• the shape of the connecting member and that of the attachment member of the adapter elements could be substantially different, in particular depending on the configuration of the fastening member or members of the distribution guide 11 and the structure of the the shelf.
• FIG. 5 there is shown a second embodiment of the storage device 10 which comprises a distribution guide 11 extending from a rear end 12 to a front end 13.
• This distribution guide 11 is quite similar to the distribution guide of the first embodiment. It has in particular a generally C-shaped cross section which defines an opening in the lower face and support rails (17, 18) shown in broken lines, and a groove 14 which forms a hooking member. at the top of the upper face lia.
• the support rails (17,18) may be inclined as in the first embodiment or be horizontal, but no indentation at the rear end 12 is provided for the loading of the bottles.
• the distribution guide 11 has two support lugs 30 extending laterally on one side of the Guide 11, the functions of which will be detailed below.
• the distribution guide 11 is extended from its open rear end 12 by a loading guide 31 which extends firstly in an arc and then in a straight line to a free end 32, said loading end .
• the loading guide 31 has a cross section similar to that of the distribution guide, 11, that is to say, generally shaped "C" and meeting the same requirements vis-à-vis the dimensions of the bottles.
• the loading guide 31 has at its free end 32 an end opening 36, said loading opening, and support rails (37, 38) which are connected and extend the support rails (17, 18) of the 11. More particularly, at the rear end 12 of the distribution guide 11, the two guides (11,31) have an identical section so as to form continuous outer and inner surfaces. However, the loading guide 31 has at the top of its upper face 31a a recess with the upper face 11a at the rear end 12, so that the upper face 31a of the loading guide 31 is located just above below the level of the bottom of the hooking groove 14.
• the storage device 10 has generally the shape of a "U” and has a loading opening 36 at the end of a branch of the "U” and a dispensing aperture 16 at the end of the other leg of the "U".
• this is intended to facilitate the respect of the freshness dates of the products by storing the bottles 7 in the device 10 by the loading opening 36 and removing the bottles to be consumed through the dispensing opening 16, especially when the bottles 7 contain a milk product rapidly perishable.
• the loading is further facilitated since the loading aperture 36 and the dispensing aperture 16 are both oriented towards the opening of the refrigeration enclosure, ie towards the 'user.
• the branch of the "U" part of the loading guide 31 is not necessarily of the same length as that of the distribution guide 11. On the contrary, as shown in Figure 5, this branch is shorter so that the user immediately identifies the loading aperture 36 and the dispensing aperture 16, and that he is prompted to withdraw the bottles at the dispensing aperture 16. It is even conceivable that the loading guide 31 comprises a curved section so that the loading aperture 36 is oriented as, or approximately as, the dispensing opening, but substantially at the rear end 12 of the dispensing guide 11.
• the distribution guide 11 has a single snap groove 14 snap on a rod 6 of a shelf, or in which can be inserted adapter elements (24, 25).
• the support lugs 30 have upper faces that extend on the opposite side to the loading guide 31 in a horizontal plane located slightly below the bottom of the groove 14, so as to bear on another rod 6 of the shelf 4 and prevent tilting of the storage device 10.
• the storage device comprising the dispensing guide 11 and the loading guide 31 can be made in one piece of plastic to reduce its cost.
• the user places the groove 14 of the distribution guide under a rod 6 of a shelf 4 if it is made of wire, and snaps the device by exerting an upward pressure.
• a shelf 4 ' in the form of a plate, for example glass
• the user engages an adapter element 24 at the rear end of the groove 14 and hooks the fastener 28 of the adapter element 24 with the rear edge of the shelf 4 '.
• it sets up the second adapter element 25 by translationally engaging the connecting member 27 thereof in the groove 14 of the distribution guide and the fastening member 29 with the front edge of the shelf 4 ' .
• the user inserts the bottles 7 in the storage device 10, preferably by the rear end 12 of the dispensing guide 11, or by the notch 22 or the loading opening 36 if they are provided. But, it is perfectly possible to insert the bottles through the dispensing opening 16, especially if the storage device 10 was previously empty.
• the user grasps the body of the bottle located at the dispensing opening 16 which is normally located near the opening plane of the refrigerated enclosure, and releases the bottle of the distribution guide making a slight upward movement to go over the stops (19,20).
• the storage device 10 thus produced is convenient to use, allows the use of an often unoccupied space of the refrigerator, solves the stability problems on the wire shelves of some small bottles and makes it possible to consume as a priority the products whose expiry date is the closest, while being economical and respecting the hygiene conditions related to domestic use.
• the two embodiments described above are in no way limiting, and it is particularly It is possible to combine different features of these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
• Freezers Or Refrigerated Showcases (AREA)
• Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
• Wrapping Of Specific Fragile Articles (AREA)
• Acyclic And Carbocyclic Compounds In Medicinal Compositions (AREA)
• Valve Device For Special Equipments (AREA)
• Lubrication Of Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=35457073

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2005
  • 2005-04-12 FR FR0503637A patent/FR2884302B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2006
  • 2006-03-31 UA UAA200711224A patent/UA89227C2/ru unknown
  • 2006-03-31 ES ES06726168T patent/ES2329933T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2006-03-31 AT AT06726168T patent/ATE436000T1/de active
  • 2006-03-31 PT PT06726168T patent/PT1869381E/pt unknown
  • 2006-03-31 DE DE602006007692T patent/DE602006007692D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2006-03-31 PL PL06726168T patent/PL1869381T3/pl unknown
  • 2006-03-31 RU RU2007141704/12A patent/RU2397411C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-03-31 MX MX2007012654A patent/MX2007012654A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2006-03-31 BR BRPI0608996-8A patent/BRPI0608996A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-03-31 WO PCT/FR2006/000721 patent/WO2006108944A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2006-03-31 EP EP06726168A patent/EP1869381B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events