Refrigerating appliance with a height-adjustable storage device

Abstract

A refrigerating appliance having a housing that encloses an interior space; a storage device; a gear mechanism to adjustably guide the storage device in the interior space between a high position and a low position; and a brake that is assigned to the gear mechanism to selectively dampen a movement of the storage device from the high position into the low position.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A refrigerating appliance, comprising:
 a housing enclosing an interior space;   a storage device;   a gear mechanism to adjustably guide the storage device in the interior space between a high position and a low position; and   a brake assigned to the gear mechanism, the brake to selectively dampen a movement of the storage device from the high position into the low position.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the brake is a friction brake. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the brake has a first brake element and a second brake element, the second brake element being moved with friction over the first brake element; and wherein an adjusting element of the gear mechanism adjusts the first and second brake elements between a first position with strong frictional contact between the first and second brake elements and a second position with one of weak and no frictional contact between the first and second brake elements. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 20 , wherein the adjusting element is movable and coupled to the storage device so that, when the storage device is moved into the low position, the strong frictional contact is established and, when the storage device is moved into the high position, the one of weak and no frictional contact is established. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 20 ,
 wherein the gear mechanism has an element that is connected to the housing and to the storage device and that guides the movement of the storage device;   wherein the adjusting element is moved in relation to fixed stops on the housing between a first stop position and a second stop position;   wherein the freedom of rotational movement of the adjusting element between the first and second stop positions is less than the freedom of rotational movement of the element; and   wherein the adjusting element is latched, in relation to the element, in a position corresponding to the one of weak and no frictional contact and a position corresponding to the strong frictional contact.   
     
     
         23 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 22 , wherein the element is rotated between an upper position and a lower position of the storage device. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 23 , wherein one of the first and second braking elements is a circular arc-shaped spring and the other of the first and second braking elements is moved along a circumferential surface of the circular arc-shaped spring. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 24 , wherein at least one end of the circular arc-shaped spring bears a stop restricting the freedom of movement of the other of the first and second braking elements. 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 24 , wherein at least one end of the circular arc-shaped spring has a latching recess into which the other of the first and second braking elements is latched. 
     
     
         27 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 24 , wherein the circular arc-shaped spring, on a circumferential surface facing away from the other of the first and second braking elements, bears a projection which is supported by the adjusting element in the second stop position of the adjusting element. 
     
     
         28 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 27 , wherein the adjusting element has an arc-shaped spring that is concentric with respect to an axis of rotation of the adjusting element, and wherein a first and second latching positions are defined by a contact between two stop surfaces of the arc-shaped spring and a latching projection of the element. 
     
     
         29 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 23 , wherein the element, which is rotabably connected to the housing and the storage device, is a hollow wheel, and wherein the first and second braking elements and the adjusting element are accommodated within the hollow wheel. 
     
     
         30 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the brake has an element that stores potential energy of the storage device on transition into the low position and that releases the potential energy on transition into the high position. 
     
     
         31 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 18 , wherein a plurality of elements that are rotatably connected to the housing and the storage device are rotatably coupled to one another. 
     
     
         32 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 31 , wherein two of the plurality of elements, which engage on a same sidewall of the housing, are coupled rotationally via a belt. 
     
     
         33 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 31 , wherein two of the plurality of elements, which engage on opposite side walls of the housing, are rotationally coupled via a rod. 
     
     
         34 . The refrigerating appliance of  claim 33 , wherein an axis of rotation, on which the two of the plurality of elements are articulated on the storage device, runs through the rod.