Refrigerator appliance with pull-out trolley

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes: a refrigerated chamber, a trolley that is slidingly mounted in the refrigerated chamber in such a way that the appliance can be in a closed position, wherein the lid of the trolley covers an upper opening of the refrigerated chamber, and in an open position, wherein the tray of the trolley is basically disposed at the same level as the upper opening of the refrigerated chamber in order to collect objects from the tray, a lifting system connected to the trolley, and a refrigeration system. The trolley has sliding means slidingly mounted in slides that extend vertically in lateral walls of the refrigeration chamber in order to permit the guided sliding of the trolley. The lifting system includes an electric motor, a worm screw and a female screw.

1 . Refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a refrigerated chamber that defines a refrigerated compartment that is open on top by means of an upper opening;   a trolley comprising a tray to support objects to be refrigerated and a lid connected to said tray, said trolley being slidingly mounted in said refrigerated chamber in such a way that said appliance can be in a closed position, wherein the lid of the trolley covers said upper opening of the refrigerated chamber, and an open position, wherein the tray is basically at the same level as said upper opening of the refrigerated chamber in order to collect objects from the tray;   a lifting system connected to said trolley in order to raise and lower the trolley; and   a refrigeration system in order to refrigerate said refrigerated compartment of the refrigerated chamber, said refrigeration system comprising a refrigeration circuit with an evaporator;   said evaporator of the refrigeration system comprises a heat exchanger with finned pack, a plate heat exchanger or a boxed heat exchanger; and   said refrigeration system comprises at least one fan disposed in said refrigerated compartment in the proximity of the evaporator in order to circulate a refrigerated air flow in the refrigerated compartment,   wherein:   said trolley comprises sliding means that are slidingly mounted in slides that extend vertically in lateral walls of said refrigerated chamber in order to permit a guided sliding of the trolley;   said lifting system comprises:
 an electrical motor fixed to a bottom wall of the refrigerated chamber; 
 a female screw connected to said trolley; 
 a worm screw that extends vertically through the bottom wall of the refrigerated chamber and that is engaged in the female screw; said worm screw being actuated by said electrical motor; and 
   wherein:   said trolley comprises lower lateral supports that extend in lower position from lateral edges of the tray and said sliding means are mounted in said lower lateral supports;   each slide comprises a section provided with a groove where the sliding means disposed in said lower lateral supports of the trolley can slide in order to permit a guided sliding of the trolley, wherein the coupling between the sliding means of the trolley and the slides of the refrigerator chamber is based on a sliding principle, and not on a rolling principle; and   said sliding means are rectangular blocks that are vertically aligned on each lower lateral support.   
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein two slides are disposed in vertical position in each lateral wall of the refrigerator chamber, near the front edge and the back edge of the lateral wall. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the slides and the sliding means are made of a corrosion-resistant material that resists to low temperatures and humidity. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the guides and the sliding means can be made of tribologically optimized high-performance polymers. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said female screw is supported by a support mounted in a bracket that protrudes in lower position from said tray of the trolley. 
     
     
         9 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said trolley comprises a post or wall that is internally empty and raises in central position from said tray and is provided with a lower portion that protrudes in lower position from said tray and receives said female screw in such a way that said worm screw can move inside said post or wall. 
     
     
         10 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said evaporator is a static evaporator. 
     
     
         11 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger of the evaporator is disposed inside the refrigeration compartment on a bottom wall of the refrigeration chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerated compartment of the refrigerated chamber is divided into a lower chamber under the tray where the evaporator and the fan are disposed, and an upper chamber above the tray, wherein the objects to be refrigerated are stored, the lower chamber being in communication with the upper chamber by means of air gaps provided between the tray and the lateral walls of the refrigerated store. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 12 , wherein said trolley comprises upper lateral supports that raise from lateral edges of the tray to support said lid, air gaps being provided between said lateral walls of the refrigerated chamber and said upper lateral supports of the trolley in order to let the air pass through. 
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said tray comprises a LED lighting fixture and a sheet of a transparent material disposed on the LED lighting fixture.