Bracket for support bases in household appliances

Abstract

A bracket for support bases in household appliances, for example refrigerators or freezers or stoves, having at least one profiled rail which is mounted, extending substantially vertically, in a reception chamber of the household appliance, and having at least one support element, to which a support base is attached and which can be selectively displaced along the profiled rail or fixed in place on the profiled rail. In accordance with this invention, the support element can be substantially positively fixed in place on the profiled rail against a movement along the profiled rail, preferably in the form of a frictional locking mechanism, or a clamp. The result is a simply embodied and easy to clean bracket for support bases in household appliances, which permits a more flexible adjustment of the height of the support bases than the prior art.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a bracket for support bases ( 10 ) in household appliances ( 12 ), having at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) which is mounted extending substantially vertically in a reception chamber ( 16 ) of the household appliance ( 12 ), and having at least one support element ( 18 ), to which a support base ( 10 ) is attached and which is selectively displaced along the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) or fixed in place on the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ), the improvement comprising: the support element ( 18 ) substantially positively fixable in place on the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) against a movement along the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         2 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the at least one support element ( 18 ) is fixable in place on the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) in a manner of a frictional locking mechanism, and the support element ( 18 ) has a first contact area ( 20 ) positionable against a front side ( 22 ) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) facing the support base ( 10 ), and has a second contact area ( 24 ) positionable against a back ( 26 ) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) at a location higher than a contact location in the first contact area ( 20 ) at the front side ( 22 ).  
     
     
         3 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the support element ( 18 ) has a sleeve section ( 28 ) forming the first and the second contact areas ( 20 ,  24 ) surrounding the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) with play so that the support element ( 18 ) is tilted in relation to the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) between a holding position in which the first and the second contact areas ( 20 ,  24 ) rest against one of the front and the back ( 22 ,  26 ) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ), and a displacement position in which the support element ( 18 ) is displaceable along the profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         4 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein a receiving cutout ( 30 ) is on a side of the support element ( 18 ) facing the front ( 22 ) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ), into which a tapered slide ( 32 ) is insertable which in an inserted state rests against the support element ( 18 ) and against the front ( 22 ) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) to secure the support element ( 18 ) in the holding position against tilting with respect to the profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         5 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the tapered slide ( 32 ) has a protrusion ( 34 ) on a side facing away from the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) which extends behind an undercut ( 36 ) on a receiving cutout ( 30 ) of the support element ( 18 ).  
     
     
         6 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the second contact area ( 24 ) of the support element ( 18 ) has micro-teeth ( 38 ) which are engageable with complementary micro-teeth ( 40 ) at the back ( 26 ) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         7 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the support element ( 18 ) is fixable in place on the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) in a manner of a clamp, the support element ( 18 ) has a slit and a resiliently embodied sleeve section ( 42 ) enclosing the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) which is adjoined by two legs ( 46 ,  48 ) extending on both sides of the slit ( 44 ) and which can be moved with respect to each other from the holding position into a displacement position and vice versa by an eccentric toggle mechanism ( 50 ) wherein, in the holding position the sleeve section ( 42 ) is clamped in place on the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ), and in the displacement position snaps back so that the support element ( 18 ) is displaceable along the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         8 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the sleeve section ( 28 ,  42 ) has a cross-sectional shape of an inner circumference which in cooperation with a second cross-sectional shape of an outer circumference of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) in the holding position positively prevents twisting of the support element ( 18 ) in a plane perpendicular to a direction of the longitudinal extension of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         9 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the support base ( 10 ) is releasably snapped together with the support element ( 18 ) by at least one snap-on device ( 52 ).  
     
     
         10 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the snap-on device ( 52 ) has a plurality of resilient protrusions ( 54 ) which are one of fastened on the support element ( 18 ) and embodied in one piece and which, in the assembled state of the support base ( 10 ), extend through a through-bore ( 56 ) in the support base ( 10 ) and on free ends each has a snap-in projection ( 58 ) extending behind the support base ( 10 ).  
     
     
         11 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the support element ( 18 ) has an arm section ( 60 ), which has a flat contact surface ( 62 ) on which the support base ( 10 ) rests, wherein the at least one snap-on device ( 52 ) is formed near the contact surface ( 62 ).  
     
     
         12 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein a groove ( 64 ) adjoins the contact surface ( 62 ) of the arm section ( 60 ) toward the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) which is embodied in the support element ( 18 ) and is used for positive reception of an ( 66 ) edge of the support base ( 10 ).  
     
     
         13 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein one end ( 68 ) of the profiled rail ( 14 ) is releasably received in a cutout ( 70 ) in a bottom ( 72 ) of the reception chamber ( 16 ), while the other end ( 74 ) of the profiled rail ( 14 ) is releasably received in a cutout ( 76 ) in a ceiling ( 78 ) of the reception chamber ( 16 ), wherein a length (L) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) is less by a defined amount (B) than a clear distance (A) of the bottoms ( 80 ,  82 ) of the cutouts ( 70 ,  76 ), and wherein the defined amount (B) is greater than a depth (T) of the cutout ( 70 ) in the bottom ( 72 ) of the reception chamber ( 16 ).  
     
     
         14 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the profiled rail ( 14 ) has a cross-sectional shape on the outer circumference which, in cooperation with the cross-sectional shape at the inner circumference of the cutouts ( 70 ,  76 ) positively prevents twisting of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) in the cutouts ( 70 ,  76 ).  
     
     
         15 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the second contact area ( 24 ) of the support element ( 18 ) has micro-teeth ( 38 ) which are engageable with complementary micro-teeth ( 40 ) at the back ( 26 ) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         16 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the sleeve section ( 28 ,  42 ) has a cross-sectional shape of an inner circumference which in cooperation with a second cross-sectional shape of an outer circumference of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) in the holding position positively prevents twisting of the support element ( 18 ) in a plane perpendicular to a direction of the longitudinal extension of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ).  
     
     
         17 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the support base ( 10 ) is releasably snapped together with the support element ( 18 ) by at least one snap-on device ( 52 ).  
     
     
         18 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the support element ( 18 ) has an arm section ( 60 ), which has a flat contact surface ( 62 ) on which the support base ( 10 ) rests, wherein the at least one snap-on device ( 52 ) is formed near the contact surface ( 62 ).  
     
     
         19 . In the bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein one end ( 68 ) of the profiled rail ( 14 ) is releasably received in a cutout ( 70 ) in a bottom ( 72 ) of the reception chamber ( 16 ), while the other end ( 74 ) of the profiled rail ( 14 ) is releasably received in a cutout ( 76 ) in a ceiling ( 78 ) of the reception chamber ( 16 ), wherein a length (L) of the at least one profiled rail ( 14 ) is less by a defined amount (B) than a clear distance (A) of the bottoms ( 80 ,  82 ) of the cutouts ( 70 ,  76 ), and wherein the defined amount (B) is greater than a depth (T) of the cutout ( 70 ) in the bottom ( 72 ) of the reception chamber ( 16 ).