RU2799224C2 - Opening device for cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: opening devices.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to an opening device (10) for a cooling device (1) containing a door unit, having a mounting base (20) configured to be installed on the provided fasteners (11) for the door hinge (9) of the cooling device (1), and functional module (30) having an ejector element (32) made with the possibility of extension under electrical control. The opening device is characterized in that the mounting base (20) has contacts (22) and the functional module (30) has mating contacts (311), wherein the contacts (22) and mating contacts (311) are in contact with each other when the functional module (30) attached to the mounting base (20) to supply current to the functional module.

EFFECT: effective performance.

17 cl, 9 dwg

Description

The invention relates to an opening device for a cooling device having a door assembly, wherein the opening device comprises a mounting base configured to be installed on the provided fasteners for the cooling device door hinge, and comprises a functional module having an ejector element configured to be pulled out under electrical control .

Cooling devices commonly used in the home, such as refrigerators or freezers, typically have a hinged door that is hermetically sealed to the body of the cooling device by an o-ring seal. In order to provide adequate thermal insulation without leakage between the insulating body and the insulating door, the circular seal is usually designed as a magnetic seal that applies locking forces between the door and the body. In addition, door hinges can be equipped with a self-closing function that provides additional locking forces. Finally, after the refrigerator or freezer door is closed, a negative pressure builds up in the hermetically sealed interior due to the warmer air that has entered and then cooled inside, adding another component to the locking force.

For more convenient handling of such a cooling device, the opening devices mentioned at the beginning are known, in which the pushing element can be pulled out of the housing by means of an electric drive, with which the door of the cooling device is opened by pushing at least to such an extent that the rear side of the door can be easily accessible and the door can be fully opened by hand.

Such an opening device is known, for example, from EP 2 292 995 B1. The opening device described here is mounted on the upper side of the cooling device and exerts pressure with its ejector element on the upper raised edge of the door of the cooling device. The opening device has a coil in which an anchor is movably mounted. The armature is held in its original position by a spring element and is unhooked when voltage is applied to the coil. The detachable anchor acts on the door by means of a lever mechanism, opening it at least to the width of the gap. Placing an opening device on top of a refrigeration unit is often undesirable for structural reasons. In addition, the upper part of the free-standing cooling device can only be used as a placement space to a limited extent. In addition, a refrigerator with an opener positioned in this manner is only to a limited extent suitable for installation in a furniture cabinet, since an opening device protruding upwards beyond the insulating cabinet of the refrigerator will result in only a partially closed gap between the refrigerator and the top panel or cabinet shelf of the cabinet.

WO 2018/007240 A1 shows an opening device of the above type. It is characterized in that it can be mounted on the front end surface of the insulating housing of the cooling unit on the provided fasteners for the door hinge of the cooling unit using a mounting bracket. In addition, the opening device is configured to act with its ejector element on the area of the door assembly located outside the seal. Thus, the opening device makes advantageous use of the door hinge installation space provided as standard in the cooling device and also uses specially prepared door hinge fasteners.

If an opening device is installed in this installation space, a connection cable must be routed from this installation space between the cooling device and the cabinet in which the cooling device is installed. This connection scheme makes it difficult to replace the opening device during maintenance or repair.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an opening device for a cooling device that can be used in the installation space provided for door hinges and that can be easily replaced for maintenance or repair purposes.

This problem is solved by means of an opening device for a cooling device having the corresponding features of the independent claims. Preferred constructions and further modifications are the subject of the dependent claims.

An opening device of the type mentioned above according to the invention is characterized in that the mounting base has contacts and the functional module has mating contacts, wherein the contacts and mating contacts contact each other when the functional module is attached to the mounting base to supply power to the functional module.

Thanks to the two-piece design of the opening device with a mounting base and a function module whose contacts/return contacts contact each other when the function module is installed, the function module can be easily replaced without the need to disconnect or reconnect the wiring of the connection cable or the need to reroute the connection cable. The replacement of a functional module can be carried out, for example, for repair, maintenance and/or cleaning purposes. Replacement can be performed by the user or an unqualified service technician.

The contacts of the mounting base are preferably connected to a connecting cable which has power supply lines and optionally signal lines.

In order to mechanically fasten the functional module to the mounting base, the mounting base and the functional module have fasteners that engage with each other in a preferred design. Preferably, the fasteners are designed so that the functional module can be attached to the mounting base without tools. The fastening elements comprise, for example, clip-on means, guiding webs, hooks, eyelets and/or undercuts.

For fixing the mounting base, said base has mounting holes for connection with the cooling device, and also preferably for connection with the furniture body, in which the cooling device is placed (into which it is inserted). To this end, the mounting base may, for example, be L-shaped. The preferred installation location for the opening device is the installation space for door hinges, which are included as standard with the cooling device. In this case, it is particularly advantageous to use the door hinge fasteners already prepared for this purpose for fastening the mounting base. This makes it possible to easily upgrade the opening device according to the invention for a large number of cooling devices already available on the market. In addition, no installation space is occupied which can be used elsewhere, such as on the top side of the cooling unit. Finally, there is no need to intervene in the construction of the insulating body outside of the fixing elements of the door hinges, which are present anyway.

In this case, the mounting base can also be used to determine the minimum distance between the cabinet and the cooling unit for the connection cable to pass through.

For placement in the available installation space, the body of the opening device preferably has a depth of less than 60 millimeters (mm), preferably less than 47 mm, or preferably from 38 to 47 mm.

In a preferred design of the opening device, the ejector has a maximum stroke of 40 to 80 mm. With this stroke, the door assembly can be opened far enough to overcome the locking force of the (magnetic) seal and the negative pressure inside the cooling device. The back of the door assembly can then be easily accessed to fully open it. At the same time, the door assembly is preferably opened by the opening device only to the extent that it is still within the self-closing range of the door hinges if they are equipped with a self-closing mechanism. If the door assembly is not opened manually, it closes automatically after the ejector element is retracted.

In another preferred design of the opening device, the ejector element is pivotally mounted on the main body and, in an unrotated position, surrounds the main body in the form of a hood on at least four sides. Preferably, the opening device has a pivot member rotatably mounted on the main body and having at least one internally toothed segment that is connected to the electric motor via a pinion gear and rotatable by the motor relative to the main body. The rotary element thus moves the ejector element, preferably by means of at least one roller eccentrically located on the rotary element, said roller being movable along the guide curve of the ejector element.

The guide curve provides a larger angle of rotation of the ejector element than would be the result of rotational movement of the rotary element alone. By forming a guide curve, it is also possible to influence the angular dependence of the movement of the ejector element depending on the angle of rotation of the rotary element. In this way, the most efficient pushing movement can be achieved, which has a large pushing force at the beginning of the sequence of movements, which is advantageous for overcoming the magnetic locking forces of the door assembly of the cooling device. This is followed by an extension at a higher speed so that the door assembly can be extended a sufficiently large distance.

In another preferred design, the opening device has an apron rotatably mounted on the main body or pusher element and extending between the main body and the pusher element as a pinch protection. Preferably, the apron is configured to be forced to be carried along by the pivot element and/or the ejector element in at least one direction of movement. The forced movement of the apron ensures that it is always in a suitable position in which it prevents, for example, a pinched finger when the ejector element is retracted.

In another preferred design of the opening device, the electric motor is connected to the drive gear via a worm gear. In this way, a suitable gear ratio can be achieved in a space-saving manner with only one gear stage. The electric motor is preferably mounted inside or on the main body with vibration damping. This ensures that the opening device operates as quietly as possible.

Below the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

- in each of Figs. 1a, 1b show an isometric view of the cooling device with the door open from different viewing directions;

- in Fig. 2a, 2b are detailed views of FIG. 1a, 1b, which illustrate in greater detail the location of the opening device and the door hinge, respectively, in the cooling device of FIG. 1a, 1b;

- in Fig. 2c shows a detailed illustration of FIG. 1a, 1b, which shows in more detail the mounting location for a door hinge or opening device;

- in each of Figs. 3a, 3b show a side view of a first exemplary embodiment of the opening device in various mounting states;

- in Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the mounting base of the opening device of the first exemplary embodiment;

- in Fig. 5 shows various isometric views of the mounting plate and functional element of the opening device of the first exemplary embodiment;

- in Fig. 6 is a side view of a second exemplary embodiment of the opening device during assembly;

- in Fig. 7 is an exploded isometric view of the opening device of the first exemplary embodiment;

- in Fig. 8a-8c show in each case a side and sectional view of the opening device of the first exemplary embodiment in various operating positions; And

- in Fig. 9 schematically shows a sensor device for actuating the opening device.

In FIG. 1a and 1b show an isometric view of a cooling device 1. The cooling device 1 can be, for example, a refrigerator or a freezer for domestic use or also for commercial use.

The cooling device 1 has a thermally insulated housing, hereinafter referred to as an insulating housing 2, the interior of which and its front end surface 3 are visible in the drawings shown. Connected to the insulating body 2 is a thermally insulated door, hereinafter referred to as an insulating door 4, which has an all-round seal 5, usually a magnetic seal. When the insulating door 4 is closed, the seal 5 is circumferentially adjacent to the front end surface 3 of the insulating body 2 and thus seals the inside of the insulating body 2.

In the shown cooling device 1, the insulating body 2 is installed in the furniture body 6, to which the door 8 of the body is connected, which in the closed state adjoins the front end surface 7 of the furniture body 6.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the housing door 8 and the isolation door 4 form a permanently connected module. Alternatively, the housing door 8 can also be connected to an insulating door as a so-called trailing door. The door 8 of the body protrudes outwards from the insulating door 4 on all sides. The insulating door 4 is hinged to the insulating body 2 of the cooling device 1 by means of door hinges 9. Thus, the actual hinge mechanism of the corresponding door hinge 9 is located above or below the insulating door 4, so that it is outside the insulated interior of the insulating housing 2 when the cooling device 1 is closed. The body door 8 is connected to the insulating door 4 to form a module through a door connector which is not visible in figures 1a and 1b and is supported by the insulating door 4. The door connector usually also serves to align the body door 8 with the insulating door 4, possibly in all three spatial directions. In this way, gap-free contact of both doors with the respective end surface of the respective housing is achieved.

The opening device 10 is located in the upper left corner of the insulating body 2, and is used for electric push opening of the door assembly, that is, the module consisting of the body door 8 and the insulating door 4.

The location of the opening device 10 or the door hinge 9 in the upper region of the cooling device 1 is again shown in greater detail in the enlarged cutouts in Figures 2a and 2b respectively. The door hinge 9 used is, for example, a so-called seven-hinge hinge, which has seven different articulation points. Such hinges have become a standard feature in cooling applications since they can be used to achieve a properly controlled opening movement of a door assembly.

For the door hinge 9, there is an installation space of a certain width, depth and height in the corner region of the insulating body 2. The width runs in the horizontal direction along the front end face 3, the height runs in the vertical direction along the end face 3, and the depth runs in the direction perpendicular to the end face 3 insulating housings 2.

In particular, the depth is standard for widely used door hinges 9 and is about 42 mm. The depth indicates the distance between the end surface 3 of the insulating body 2 and the surface of the door 8 of the body facing the insulating body 2. The door hinge 9 is adjacent to these two surfaces, the front end surface 3 and the inner surface of the door 8 of the body, respectively, by means of contact surfaces, and is attached to these elements using fasteners, usually screws. As a rule, the position of the fasteners is also fixed as standard. In particular, in the insulating body 2 of the cooling device 1 there are prefabricated fixing elements, such as screw fittings, arranged so that the door hinge 9 can be screwed to the end surface 3 in the corner region. The fastening elements can be made, for example, in the form of plug-in or pressed-in threaded bushings.

The cooling device 1 allows, as is usually the case for cooling devices, the use of a left or right door hinge. To this end, said fixing elements for the door hinge(s) 9 are not only provided on the right side of the insulating body 2, but also in mirror image on the left side. In this way, the door hinges 9 can be screwed to the left side of the cooling unit at the top left or bottom left without any other structural changes. In the case of non-symmetrical door hinges 9, they are replaced crosswise when replacing the door hinge, i.e. the top right door hinge 9 is inserted at the bottom left and the bottom right door hinge 9 at the top left.

In the arrangement shown, the installation space that would be available for the upper door hinge 9 with the door fixed on the left is occupied by the opening device 10. In the preferred embodiment, the opening device 10 not only is located in this installation space, but also uses prepared fasteners for the door hinge 9. If the door is fixed on the left, the door hinge 9 will accordingly use these fasteners on the left side, while the opening device 10 will use the fasteners used by the upper door hinge 9 in the state shown in the upper right corner region of the insulating body 9.

In this regard, it should be noted that the opening device 10 may be located not only in the upper but also in the lower region of the cooling device 1, or in both the upper and lower regions. Thus, the opening device 10 can also use fasteners for the lower of the two door hinges 9, respectively, on the side on which the door hinge is not mounted. Said fasteners in the lower left corner region of the cooling device 1 are shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. On figs shows the lower left corner area of the cooling device 1 in an enlarged section. The fasteners in this case are threaded inserts 11 on the front end surface 3 of the insulating housing 2, into which, in this illustration, a fixing screw is screwed in order to close the threaded inserts 11 when not in use.

In FIG. 3a and 3b show a first embodiment of an opening device 10 which is located in the upper or lower corner region of the insulating body 2 of the cooling device 1, which is otherwise not shown here. The drawings show a top view of said corner area, where part of the insulating body 2 can be seen, as well as the side wall of the furniture body 6 .

The opening device 10 consists of two parts with a mounting base 20 and a functional module 30 which is removable from the mounting base 20.

To install the opening device 10, the mounting base 20 is first attached to the cooling device 1 and the furniture body 6 in said corner region. For this, (threaded) screws 12 are screwed into the threaded inserts 11 of the cooler 1. As explained earlier, the threaded inserts 11 are the attachment points for the door hinges, which are already provided in the insulating housing 2 of the cooler 1, which are not used and are accessible on the side opposite to the inserted door hinges 9.

In this example, the mounting base 20 is made in the form of an L-shaped corner, which is adjacent to the insulating body 2 with a longer leg. The shorter leg of the mounting base 20 rests on the furniture body 6 . Here, a mounting hole 23 can be provided in the mounting base 20, through which a self-tapping screw 12 can be screwed into the furniture body 6.

According to the application, the contacts 22 are located on the mounting base 20, which is connected to the connecting cable 21 of the opening device 10. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the contacts 20 are located in a plug connector, which is located in the corner region of the mounting base 20, which has an angled shape. As a rule, a gap remains between the insulating housing 2 of the cooling unit 1 and the side wall of the cabinet 6 of the furniture, through which the connecting cable 21 can be passed in order to connect it to the mains supply at the rear of the cooling unit 1, which is not visible here, possibly through a built-in unit nutrition. In addition to the power supply lines, the connection cable 21 may also contain signal lines for connecting the opening device to the sensor assembly. An example of a sensor assembly that detects a manually triggered opening of the door assembly of the cooling device 1 in order to activate the function of the opening device 10 is shown in FIG. 9.

In the next step, the functional module 30 is attached to the screw-on mounting base 20. This attachment is preferably carried out using a toolless (snap-on) mechanism. When the functional module 30 is attached, an electrical connection is established to the contacts 22 and thus to the connection cable 21 via the mating contacts of the functional module 30, which are not visible in FIG. 3a and 3b.

Due to the two-piece design of the opening device 10 with the mounting base 20 and the functional module 30, the functional module 30 can be replaced so easily without having to disconnect or rewire the connecting cable 21 or have to reroute the connecting cable 21. The replacement of the functional module 30 can be done for repair purposes, maintenance and/or cleaning. Replacement can be performed by the user or an unqualified service person.

FIG. 4 shows the mounting base 20 of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3a and 3b in more detail in isometric view. In the example shown, the mounting base 20 itself consists of two parts, whereby a soft intermediate layer 25 is provided, on which the upper part of the mounting base 20 is placed. , rubber or elastomer. A high stability of the mounting base 20 is achieved and, at the same time, good sound insulation and/or sound absorption, so that the vibrations generated by the opening device 10 are not transmitted as structural sound to the cooling device 1 or the furniture body 6 as far as possible.

In addition to the contacts 22, as mentioned above, the mounting base 20 has mounting holes 23, which can be made in the form of slotted holes in order to be able to move the mounting base 20 on the insulating housing 2 and thus compensate for different sizes of the gap between the cooling device 1 and furniture body 6. Another possibility to compensate for the difference in gap dimensions is provided by the installation of intermediate plates. In addition, fastening means 24 are located on the mounting base 20, which serve to fasten the functional module 30 to the mounting module 20. These can be clip-on elements and/or guides, optionally with undercuts.

In FIG. 5, on the right hand side, the opening device 10 is shown with the mounting base 20 and the functional module 30 separated again in isometric view. On the left side of the drawing, the functional module 30 is shown from a different angle.

The attachment of the functional module 30 to the mounting base 20, as already mentioned in connection with FIG. 4, is shown in more detail in FIG. 5. As fasteners 24 on the mounting base 20, snap-in elements and guide bars with undercut sections are provided to allow the functional unit 30 to slide onto the mounting base. Functional module 30 has fasteners 312 cooperating with it.

The movement sequence foreseen for fastening is shown by two movement arrows 13, 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the function module 30 is first placed on the mounting base 20 and then pushed parallel to the longer leg of the mounting base 20 in the direction of the shorter leg, as indicated by the movement arrow 14. In the process of this, the sections of the functional module 30 engage the corresponding sections of the guide jumpers of the mounting base 20, and at the same time, the return contacts 311 of the functional module 30 contact the contacts 22 of the mounting base 20. At the end of the sliding movement indicated by the arrow 14 of the movement, the functional module 30 is snapped into place by its fastening means 312 by means of the snap-in means of the mounting base 20, whereby the functional module 30 is locked in the pushed position. Additional fasteners such as screws or cotter pins may be provided.

Figure 5 also shows the details of the construction of the functional module 30, which has a main body 31, the lower side of which is pressed against the mounting base 20, and on which the aforementioned mating contacts 311 are also located.

The function module 30 further comprises a pusher element 32 which swings open when the opening device 10 is operated to push open the door assembly (see the insulating door 4 and the cabinet door 8 in FIGS. 1a and 1b) of the cooling device 1. The pusher element 32 is shaped of the hood and is put on the main body 31. It is provided with a rotatable support hole 321 by which it is mounted on the main body 31. In addition, a guide curve 322 is formed on the ejector 32, the function of which will be explained in more detail in connection with FIG. 7 and 8a-c. In addition, an additional pivot bearing hole 323 is formed on the ejector 32, the function of which will also be explained below. Along the edge with which the pusher element 32 abuts against the door assembly, a soft component can be positioned, in particular extruded or fully formed in a co-extrusion process.

6 shows yet another exemplary embodiment of the opening device 10, which differs from the previously shown exemplary embodiment in how the functional module 30 is attached to the mounting base 20. With regard to the other function of the opening device 10, reference is made to the following explanations regarding the first exemplary embodiment.

Unlike the previously described exemplary embodiment, the functional module 30 is attached to the mounting base 20 not by placing and moving it, but by engaging and rotating. Engagement is shown by movement arrow 15 and rotation by movement arrow 16 . For engagement, the functional module 30 in this example has a rearward protrusion as fasteners 312, and the mounting base 20 has a socket as fasteners 24 into which the protrusion is inserted. After insertion, the functional module 30 is rotated onto the mounting base 20 with its end opposite the protrusion and snapped there by snap-on means, which are not visible in FIG. 6.

In accordance with the changed sequence of movement, the contacts 22, which are not visible here, and the response contacts 311 are also arranged differently and in particular have a different mating direction than in the first exemplary embodiment, which is adapted to turn inward in accordance with the movement arrow 16.

In FIG. 7 shows the construction of the opening device 10 of the first exemplary embodiment in more detail. The internal structure of the functional module 30 as seen in FIG. 7 and the functionality it achieves are similarly implemented in the second exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6.

In FIG. 7, the opening device 10 is shown as an exploded isometric view. The main body 31 of the functional module 30 is inserted into the mounting base 20. The ejector element 32 is placed on the main body 31 in the form of a hood, and on the main body 31 support pins 313 are formed, which engage on both sides in the corresponding rotary support hole 321 of the ejector element 32 so that the latter is hinged to the main body 31.

On the side of the main body 31 opposite the support pins 313, a semicircular rotary element 34 is rotatably mounted on the main body 31. The rotary element 34 consists of two circular segments 341a, 341b, each of which is placed on the body 31 on one side, while rotating the shaft 342 is rotatably mounted in the support hole 314. The assembled circular segments 341a, b are connected to each other in the rotating shaft 342 and in the connecting shaft 343 located eccentrically with respect to it.

The connecting shaft 343 protrudes outwardly beyond the outer surfaces of the circular segments 341a, b, and on the connecting shafts 343, rotatably mounted rollers 344 are mounted in the protruding area. , the rollers 344 move along the guide curve 322 and rotate the ejector 32 outward. This will be described in more detail in connection with FIG. 8a-8c.

In order to move the rotary member 34 and thus move the ejector member 32, a motor 315 is located in the main body 31, which acts on the two pinion gears 316 through a reduction gear not visible here, which in turn interacts with the gear segment 345 of each circular segment. 341a, b. The gear module may be, for example, a worm gear. Preferably, the motor 315 can be resiliently mounted to provide the most silent and vibration-free drive. In addition, a weighting agent can be attached to the motor 315 as a mass sensor to further reduce vibration amplitude.

The gear segment 345 is a section of the internal gear (also called the ring gear). As the drive gears 316 rotate, the rotary member 34 rotates around the rotating shaft 342.

In addition, there is also an apron 33 located between the main body 31 and the ejector member, which is rotatably mounted in the ejector member 32 in the pivot support holes 323 by the support pins 331. The pivot support 323 is positioned adjacent to the pivot support 321, with which the pusher member 32 is mounted on the main body 31. The apron 33 has a pinch protection function, which will also be explained in connection with FIG. 8a-8c described below.

In FIG. 8a-8c the functional module 30 is shown in three different functional positions, namely in fig. 8a in the retracted position, in fig. 8b in the partially extended position and in fig. 30 at the top of the figure without pusher 32 in side view and at the bottom of the figure with pusher 32 in sectional view. The section is shown in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pusher element 32, right between the pusher element 32 and the apron 33, so that the body 31 and the apron 33 are visible in the side view, and only the pusher element 32 is visible in section.

The extension of the pusher 32 is based on the rotation of the pivot 34, the rotational movement of which is translated into the pivotal movement of the pusher 32 through the rollers 344. As a result, the guide curve 322 provides a greater angle of rotation of the pusher 32 than would be the result of the rotational movement of the pivot only. 34. The shape of the guide curve 322 also affects the angular dependence of the movement of the ejector 32 as a function of the angle of rotation of the rotary member 34. In this way, the most efficient ejection movement can be achieved, which has a large ejection force at the beginning of the movement sequence, which is an advantage for overcoming magnetic the locking forces of the door assembly of the cooling device 1. After that, repulsion takes place at a higher speed so that the door assembly can be pushed far enough to open. This creates a progressive kinematics of movement.

When the pusher 32 rotates, the apron 33 also rotates, but by a smaller deflection angle, so that the gap between the main body 31 and the pusher 32 is always closed to prevent, for example, a pinched finger when the pusher 32 is retracted.

In order to properly drag the apron 33, at least one cam protrusion 346 is formed on the outside of the rotary member 34 on the circular segments 341a, b, which presses against the upper or lower edge of the apron 33 and moves it accordingly. The shape of the lip 346, in combination with the shape of the edges of the apron 33, determines the sequence of movement that the apron 33 undergoes during the movement of the pivot member 34. Alternatively or additionally, a cam ridge can also be formed on the pusher element 32 (inwardly directed in this case) that moves the apron 33 with him.

A protrusion 346 may be provided for each direction of movement so that the apron 33 is forced to move with it in both directions.

It is also possible to pretension the apron 33 in one direction with the spring and make only one movement against the tension of the spring by the protrusion 346 on the side of the top or bottom edge of the apron 33. However, in this case, the apron 33 is not restricted in both directions.

In an alternative design, another connection may be provided between the apron 33 and the rotary member 34. For example, the apron 33 may include an inwardly facing pin that moves along a guide groove formed on the outer surface of the corresponding circular segment 341a, b.

The extension or retraction of the pusher element 32 can be performed by turning on the motor 315 with the appropriate polarity. At least one limit switch may be provided which is located within the main body 31 and is actuated, for example, by an inwardly facing cam on one of the chain segments 341a, b and stops the motor 315 in its final position. Thus, in principle, both end positions can be determined using switches.

It is also possible to determine only one end position with such a switch and control movement to another end position by determining the angle of rotation of the motor 315. To determine the angle of rotation of the motor 315, the motor 315 may be equipped with a rotation sensor, such as a Hall sensor. Alternatively, electronic detection of the current pulses generated when the motor 315 is switched may be used. The rotation of the motor can be determined from the current pulses if the motor 315 is a mechanically commutated motor. If an EC motor is used as motor 315, the commutation information is inherently present when the motor is controlled and can be used to determine the angle of rotation.

Similarly, the circuitry driving the motor 315 may monitor the current draw of the motor 315 and detect a mechanical end stop due to the increased current draw and then stop the motor 315.

The electronic circuitry for controlling the motor 315 and/or evaluating the limit switches is preferably located in the function module 30, such as in the main body 31.

To operate the opening device, a sensor can be installed on the cooling device 1 or on the furniture body 6, which detects a manually initiated process of opening the door assembly, after which the process of pushing the opening device 10 is started.

Figure 9 shows an example of a sensor assembly 40 suitable for this purpose, which is located on the furniture body 6 on the side of the door without hinges.

The sensor assembly 40 comprises a pressure-dependent resistor 42 embedded in an elastic sheath 41. The back of the sheath preferably has an adhesive film which allows for easy installation. Alternatively or additionally, screw fastening may be provided. The shell 41 has a drive 43 in a suitable place, which protrudes slightly. Instead of the elastic sheath 41, a fixed housing can also be provided, in which the pressure-dependent resistor 42 is located and from which the movable actuator 43 protrudes.

The pressure dependent resistor 42 (force sensing resistor, FSR) changes its resistance value when a force is applied. The sensor assembly 40 is positioned such that the closed housing door 8 presses against the pressure dependent resistor 42 via the actuator 43. If this pressure is removed by moving the housing door 8, the resistance value of the pressure dependent resistor 42 changes as detected by the appropriate monitoring circuit.

Instead of the pressure-dependent resistor 42, motion detection of the housing door 8 can also be carried out using a mechanical button, a light barrier, a load cell, a piezoelectric element or a magnetic sensor connected to a permanent magnet located in the housing door 8.

Other alternative sensors known in the art can also be used to actuate the opening device, which are located on the furniture body 6, on the insulating body or on one of the doors 4, 8. Alternatively or in addition to the sensor, the activation of the opening device can also be initiated by a control device of the refrigerator 1, such as a touch screen, or through a device capable of connecting to a network or a SmartHome system, such as a smartphone or a voice input device.

Position number list

1 Cooling device

2 Insulating housing

3 Front end face (insulating housing)

4 Insulating door

5 (Magnetic) seal

6 Furniture body

7 Front end surface (furniture cabinets)

8 Enclosure door

9 Door hinge

10 Opening device

11 Threaded insert

12 Screw

13 Movement arrow (placement)

14 Movement arrow (push)

15 Movement arrow (engagement)

16 Movement arrow (turn)

20 Mounting base

21 Connecting cable

22 Contact

23 Mounting hole

24 Fasteners

25 Interlayer

26 Nest

30 Function module

31 Main building

311 Return contact

312 Fasteners

313 Support pin

314 Reference hole

315 Engine

316 Drive gear

32 Ejector

321 Rotary support hole

322 Guide curve

323 Rotary support hole

33 Apron

331 support pin

34 Rotary element

341a,b Circle segment

342 Rotating shaft

343 Connecting shaft

344 Roller

345 Toothed segment

346 ledge

40 Sensor assembly

41 Shell

42 Pressure dependent resistance

43 Drive

Claims (17)

1. An opening device (10) for a cooling device (1) having a door assembly containing a mounting base (20) configured to be installed on the provided fasteners (11) for the door hinge (9) of the cooling device (1), and functional module (30) having an ejector element (32) made with the possibility of extension under electrical control, characterized in that the mounting base (20) has contacts (22), and the functional module (30) has response contacts (311), moreover, the contacts (22) and mating contacts (311) contact each other when the functional module (30) is attached to the mounting base (20) to supply power to the functional module. 2. The opening device (10) according to claim 1, in which the contacts (22) of the mounting base (20) are connected to a connecting cable (21) containing power supply lines and optionally signal lines. 3. The opening device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the mounting base (20) and the functional module (30) include interlocking fasteners (24, 312) for attaching the functional module (30) to the mounting base ( 20). 4. The opening device (10) according to claim 3, in which the fasteners (24, 312) serve to fasten the functional module (30) to the mounting base (20) without the use of tools. 5. The opening device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the fastening means (24, 312) comprise snap-in means, guiding webs, hooks, lugs and/or undercuts. 6. Opening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the ejector element (32) has a maximum stroke of 40 to 80 mm. 7. An opening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, having a depth of less than 60 mm, preferably less than 47 mm and more preferably between 38 and 47 mm. 8. The opening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the ejector element (32) is rotatably mounted on the main body (31) and, in an unrotated position, surrounds the main body (31) in the form of a hood with at least four sides. 9. The opening device (10) according to claim 8, containing a rotary element (34) mounted for rotation on the main body (31) and having at least one internal toothed segment (345) connected to the electric motor (315) through drive gear (316) and rotatable by the motor (315) relative to the main body (31). 10. The opening device (10) according to claim 9, in which the pivoting element (34) is configured to entrain the ejector element (32). 11. The opening device (10) according to claim 9, in which the rotary element (34) is configured to entrain the ejector element (32) through at least one roller (344) eccentrically located on the rotary element (34), and said roller (344) is movable along the guide curve (322) of the ejector element (32). 12. Opening device (10) according to one of claims 8 to 11, comprising an apron (33) rotatably mounted on the main body (31) or pusher element (32) and extending between the main body (31) and the pusher element ( 32) as a pinch protection. 13. The opening device (10) according to claim 12, wherein the apron (33) is adapted to be forced behind the pivot element (34) and/or the ejector element (32) in at least one direction of movement. 14. An opening device (10) according to one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the electric motor (315) is connected to the pinion gear (316) via a worm gear. 15. Opening device (10) according to one of claims 8 to 14, in which the electric motor (315) is installed inside or on the main body (31) with vibration damping. 16. Opening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 15, in which the mounting base (20) has mounting holes for connection with the cooling device (1) and the furniture body (6) in which the cooling device (1) is placed. 17. The opening device (10) according to claim 16, wherein the mounting base (20) defines the minimum distance between the furniture body (6) and the cooling device (1) for the connection cable (21) to pass through.

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