Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator, having an outer cabinet and an inner shelf carriage supporting a plurality of shelves and being movably arranged between a display position, where the shelves are accessible from a front side of the shelf carriage, a refill position, where the shelves are accessible from a rear side of the shelf carriage, and an intermediate position. The refrigerator further has a turning guide cooperating with the shelf carriage. The shelf carriage is at least substantially inside of the outer cabinet in the display position and at least substantially outside of and disconnected from the outer cabinet in the refill position and in the intermediate position. The shelf carriage is arranged for turning motion between the intermediate position and the refill position. The turning guide is adapted to guide the turning motion of the shelf carriage between the intermediate position and the refill position.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising: 
 an outer cabinet;    an inner shelf carriage supporting a plurality of shelves and being movably arranged between a display position, where the shelves are accessible from a front side of the shelf carriage, a refill position, where the shelves are accessible from a rear side of the shelf carriage, and an intermediate position; and    a turning guide cooperating with the shelf carriage; wherein    the shelf carriage is at least substantially inside of the outer cabinet in the display position and at least substantially outside of and disconnected from the outer cabinet in the refill position and in the intermediate position;    the shelf carriage is arranged for turning motion between the intermediate position and the refill position; and wherein    the turning guide is adapted to guide the turning motion of the shelf carriage between the intermediate position and the refill position.    
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the turning guide is adapted to guide the shelf carriage to turn around a central axis of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the turning guide includes an axle and a pivotal bearing connected to the axle during the turning motion.  
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the turning guide is provided with locking means for preventing turning of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further including a bearing arrangement, wherein the bearing arrangement is arranged to act on a bottom plate of the shelf carriage for facilitating the turning motion of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the shelf carriage is arranged for linear translation between the display position inside of the outer cabinet and the disconnected intermediate position outside of the outer cabinet.  
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the linear translation of the shelf carriage is along a linear path aligned normal to the front side of the shelf carriage when the shelf carriage is in the display position.  
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a guide plate carrying the shelf carriage, wherein the turning guide is arranged on the guide plate and connected to a bottom plate of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the turning guide includes an central axle which is pivotally received in a circular recess in the bottom plate of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , the guide plate is provided with wheels on a floor facing side thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one wheel is non-pivoting and aligned in the direction of the linear path.  
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one wheel is adjustable between a retracted position in which the wheel engages with a bottom of the outer cabinet and an extended position in which the wheel engages with a floor.  
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein an extendable axle is pivotally arranged in a bottom plate of the shelf carriage, and wherein the axle is operable to project out of the bottom plate of the shelf carriage and to fixedly engage with a support surface, whereby the axle provides a rotational guide for the turning motion of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the axle, in an extended position, is adapted to carry part of the weight of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the turning guide includes an axle and a pivotal bearing connected to the axle during the turning motion.  
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the turning guide is provided with locking means for preventing turning of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , further including a bearing arrangement, wherein the bearing arrangement is arranged to act on a bottom plate of the shelf carriage for facilitating the turning motion of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the shelf carriage is arranged for linear translation between the display position inside of the outer cabinet and the disconnected intermediate position outside of the outer cabinet.  
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , further comprising a guide plate carrying the shelf carriage, wherein the turning guide is arranged on the guide plate and connected to a bottom plate of the shelf carriage.  
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the turning guide includes an central axle which is pivotally received in a circular recess in the bottom plate of the shelf carriage.