Refrigeration appliance with flexible drawer capacity
The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a refrigerator or a fridge-freezer ( 2 ). The refrigeration appliance comprises a housing ( 4 ), a refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) formed within the housing ( 4 ), a slidably and releasably supported first drawer ( 20 a ) having a first vertical extension, a second slidably and releasably supported second drawer ( 20 b ) having a second vertical extension being greater than the first vertical extension of the first drawer ( 20 a ), and a first, a second and a third drawer support position ( 72 a, 72 b, 74 a, 74 b, 76 a, 76 b ), wherein in vertical direction the first drawer support position ( 72 a, 72 b ) is higher than the second drawer support position ( 74 a, 74 b ) and the second drawer support position ( 74 a, 74 b ) is higher than the third drawer support position ( 76 a, 76 b ). When A) the first or second drawer ( 20 a, 20 b ) is supported at the first drawer support position ( 72 b ) the upper levels of the first and second drawers ( 20 a, 20 b ) are at the same vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ), and when the first drawer ( 20 a ) is supported at the third drawer support position ( 76 b ) or when the second drawer ( 20 b ) is supported at the second drawer support position ( 74 b ) the lower levels of the first and second drawers ( 20 a, 20 b ) are at the same vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ), or when B) the first or second drawer ( 20 a, 20 b ) is supported at the third drawer support position ( 76 a ) the upper levels of the first and second drawers ( 20 a, 20 b ) are at the same vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ), and when the first drawer ( 20 a ) is supported at the second drawer support position ( 74 a ) or when the second drawer ( 20 b ) is supported at the first drawer support position ( 72 a ) the lower levels of the first and second drawers ( 20 a, 20 b ) are at the same vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ).
1 . A refrigeration appliance, in particular a refrigerator or a fridge-freezer ( 2 ), comprising:
a housing ( 4 ),
a refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) formed within the housing ( 4 ),
a first drawer ( 20 a ) extending vertically a first distance,
a second drawer ( 20 b ) extending vertically a second distance that is greater than the first distance, and
a first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ), a second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), and a third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ) configured for slidably and releasably supporting the first drawer ( 20 a ) and second drawer ( 20 b ), wherein in the vertical direction the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) is higher than the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) and the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) is higher than the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ),
wherein the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) are configured such that:
A) a lower level of the first drawer ( 20 a ) will be at a first vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the first drawer ( 20 a ) is supported at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ), and a lower level of the second drawer ( 20 b ) will be at the same first vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the second drawer ( 20 b ) is supported at the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), or
B) the lower level of the first drawer ( 20 a ) will be at a second vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the first drawer ( 20 a ) is supported at the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), and the lower level of the second drawer ( 20 b ) will be at the same second vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the second drawer ( 20 b ) is supported at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ).
2 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein in option B) a height difference between the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) and the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) corresponds or substantially corresponds to a difference between the first distance of the first drawer ( 20 a ) and the second distance of the second drawer ( 20 b ).
3 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first drawer ( 20 a ) has a pair of bearing elements ( 82 ) adapted to slidably and releasably support the first drawer ( 20 a ) at a pair of rail elements ( 68 ) formed at side walls of the refrigerating compartment ( 60 b ).
4 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) has a plurality of pairs of rail elements ( 68 ) provided at opposing lateral sides of the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ), wherein the plurality of pairs of rail elements ( 68 ) comprises:
a first pair of rail elements ( 68 ) provided at the vertical height of the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ), a second pair of rail elements ( 68 ) provided at the vertical height of the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), and a third pair of rail elements ( 68 ) provided at the vertical height of the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ).
5 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 3 , wherein a pair of intermediate support elements ( 84 ) for slidably supporting the first drawer ( 20 a ) is provided at opposing lateral sides of the first drawer ( 20 a ) between the pair of bearing elements ( 82 ) and the pair of rail elements ( 68 ).
6 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising an upper shelf ( 22 a ) mounted within the compartment ( 6 ), and a lower shelf ( 22 b ) mounted within the compartment ( 6 ) at a vertical position below the upper shelf ( 22 a ),
wherein:
A) the upper shelf ( 22 a ) is mounted in the compartment ( 6 ) at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) and the lower shelf ( 22 b ) is releasably mounted in the compartment ( 6 ) at the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) or the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ), or
B) the upper shelf ( 22 a ) is releasably mounted in the compartment ( 6 ) at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) or the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), and the lower shelf ( 22 b ) is mounted in the compartment ( 6 ) at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ),
wherein the first drawer ( 20 a ) is adapted to be slidably supported below the upper shelf ( 22 a ) or below the lower shelf ( 22 b ), and the second drawer ( 20 b ) is adapted to be slidably supported below the upper shelf ( 22 a ) or below the lower shelf ( 22 b ),
wherein the first drawer ( 20 a ) fits between the upper and lower shelves ( 22 a , 22 b ) when A) the lower shelf ( 22 b ) is mounted in the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), or B) the upper shelf ( 22 a ) is mounted in the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), and
wherein the second drawer ( 20 b ) fits between the upper and lower shelves ( 22 a , 22 b ) when A) the lower shelf ( 22 b ) is mounted in the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ), or B) the upper shelf ( 22 a ) is mounted in the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ).
7 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein in operation of the refrigeration appliance:
i) a first preservation condition is provided in an upper volume section, wherein the upper volume section is within the vertically positioned upper one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) and/or between the upper level of the vertically positioned upper one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) and the upper level of the vertically positioned lower one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ), and
ii) a second preservation condition is provided in a lower volume section, wherein the lower volume section is within the vertically positioned lower one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) and/or below the upper level of the vertically positioned lower one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ), and
wherein the first and second preservation conditions are different to each other.
8 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7 , wherein the first and/or second preservation condition comprises one or more comprises one or more preservation conditions from a group consisting of:
an air temperature,
an air humidity, and
absorbing components of the air affecting the preservation of foodstuffs by using an absorbing material.
9 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7 , wherein the temperature within the upper volume section is in the range of 2-4, 3-5 or 4-6° C. and/or the temperature within the lower volume section is in the range of −3 to −1, −2 to 1, −1 to 2, 0 to 3 or 1 to 4° C.
10 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7 , wherein in operation of the appliance the air humidity within the first and/or second drawer ( 20 a , 20 b ) is established by at least one membrane mounted at the top of the first and/or second drawer ( 20 a , 20 b ).
11 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the absorbing material is adapted to absorb odors and/or ethylene, in particular the absorbing material is a solid material such as oxygen and/or carbon dioxide absorbers.
12 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the absorbing material is arranged within the first and/or second drawer ( 20 a , 20 b ),
wherein the absorbing material is arranged at least at one cover element or at the upper and/or lower shelf, and/or at an inner wall of the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) surrounding the lower volume section and/or the upper volume section.
13 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7 , wherein in operation of the appliance, the difference in preservation conditions between the upper and lower volume section is established by cold air flowing
towards the first and/or second drawer ( 20 a , 20 b ), and/or
towards the compartment space below the upper level of the vertically positioned lower one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) and/or
towards the compartment space below the upper level of the vertically positioned upper one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ).
14 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7 ,
wherein in operation of the appliance, cold air is introduced into the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) through at least one air inlet ( 35 ) arranged at an inner wall of the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) below the upper level of the vertically positioned lower one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ), and
wherein the difference between the first and second preservation conditions is established by:
cold air introduced through the air inlet ( 35 ) and flowing around the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ), or
cold air introduced through the air inlet ( 35 ) and flowing into the vertically positioned lower and/or upper one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ), wherein each drawer ( 20 a , 20 b ) comprises at least one recess ( 78 a , 78 b ) arranged at a side wall ( 36 a , 36 b ) and/or a rear wall ( 40 a , 40 b ) of the drawer ( 20 a , 20 b ), and wherein the air inlet ( 35 ) and the at least one recess ( 78 a , 78 b ) of each drawer ( 78 a , 78 b ) are configured such that the cold air introduced through the air inlet ( 35 ) is guidable through the at least one recess ( 78 a , 78 b ) of the vertically positioned lower one of the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) into the drawer ( 20 a , 20 b ).
15 . A method for exchanging first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) in the refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
a removing step that comprises:
A) removing the first drawer ( 20 a ) or second drawer ( 20 b ) from the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ), and removing either the second drawer ( 20 b ) from the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) or the first drawer ( 20 a ) from the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ), or
B) removing the first drawer ( 20 a ) or second drawer ( 20 b ) from the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ), and removing either the second drawer ( 20 b ) from the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) or the first drawer ( 20 a ) from the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ); and
a mounting step that comprises:
A) mounting the first drawer ( 20 a ) at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ) and the second drawer ( 20 b ) at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ), or mounting the first drawer ( 20 a ) at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) and the second drawer ( 20 b ) at the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ), or
B) mounting the first drawer ( 20 a ) at the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) and the second drawer ( 20 b ) at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ), or mounting the second drawer ( 20 b ) at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) and the first drawer ( 20 a ) at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ).
16 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein:
A) an upper level of the first drawer ( 20 a ) will be at a third vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the first drawer ( 20 a ) is supported at the at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ), and an upper level of the second drawer ( 20 b ) will be at the same third vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the second drawer ( 20 b ) is supported at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ), or
B) the upper level of the first drawer ( 20 a ) will be at a fourth vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the first drawer ( 20 a ) is supported at the at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ), and the upper level of the second drawer ( 20 b ) will be at the same fourth vertical position within the refrigerating compartment ( 6 ) when the second drawer ( 20 b ) is supported at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ).
17 . A method for mounting the first and second drawers ( 20 a , 20 b ) in the refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
A) mounting the first drawer ( 20 a ) at the third drawer support position ( 76 a , 76 b ) such that the lower level of the first drawer ( 20 a ) is at the first vertical position, and mounting the second drawer ( 20 b ) at the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) such that the lower level of the second drawer ( 20 b ) is at the same first vertical position, or
B) mounting the first drawer ( 20 a ) at the second drawer support position ( 74 a , 74 b ) such that the lower level of the first drawer ( 20 a ) is at the second vertical position, and mounting the second drawer ( 20 b ) at the first drawer support position ( 72 a , 72 b ) such that the lower level of the second drawer ( 20 b ) is at the same second vertical position.