CN118242573A - Lamp for a household appliance and corresponding household appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a lamp, such as a handle lamp (2), for a household appliance (1), comprising: a lamp frame (21); and a light source assembly (22) mounted to the bezel, including a light emitting element (221) for generating light. The lamp frame comprises: a first light diffusing structure (211) for diffusing light outwards at a light emitting side (23) of the lamp; a second light diffusing structure (212); and a reflective structure (213); wherein the lamp is configured to allow at least a portion of the light emitted by the light emitting element to propagate through the second light diffusing structure before propagating to the reflecting structure and then to reflect at least partially towards the first light diffusing structure. A corresponding household appliance (1), in particular a refrigerator, is also disclosed. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the handle light is well suited for a narrow handle space, and emits light more uniformly, and is simpler in structure, manufacture, and assembly.

Description

Lamp for a household appliance and corresponding household appliance

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of household appliances, in particular refrigerators, and in particular to a lamp for a household appliance, such as a handle lamp, and a household appliance comprising such a lamp.

Background

With the development of society and the continuous improvement of living standard of people, household appliances are widely used in the life of people. For example, refrigerators and the like have gone into the ordinary families. In particular, in recent years, there has been a continual search for high performance refrigerators, high quality refrigerators, and particularly intelligent refrigerators. Therefore, the exterior of the current refrigerator is generally provided with a light device in order to improve the quality and experience of the refrigerator and the user, realize desired illumination, and be able to present the working state of the refrigerator as required.

A common arrangement position of the light is a handle position, which can identify the position of the refrigerator handle on the one hand, and on the other hand, the area is also suitable for arrangement, and can be well matched with other areas to improve the quality of the refrigerator and the use experience of a user.

However, the existing lamp also has the problem that the emergent light cannot meet the requirement, particularly the improvement that the handle lamp cannot be matched with the handle, and the like, so that the continuous improvement is required.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to overcome one of the above-mentioned drawbacks and/or other possible drawbacks of the prior art not mentioned herein, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lamp for a household appliance, in particular a refrigerator, such as a handle lamp, and a household appliance comprising such a lamp.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lamp, such as a handle lamp, for a household appliance, the lamp comprising: a lamp frame; and a light source assembly mounted to the lamp frame, including a light emitting element for generating light. The lamp frame comprises: a first light diffusing structure for diffusing light outwardly at a light emitting side of the lamp; a second light diffusing structure; and a reflective structure; wherein the lamp is configured to allow at least a portion of the light emitted by the light emitting element to propagate through the second light diffusing structure before propagating to the reflecting structure and then to reflect at least partially towards the first light diffusing structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the lamp is configured to allow a portion of the light propagating within the second light diffusing structure to be conducted towards the interior of the first light diffusing structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the lamp is configured to allow part of the light scattered from the side of the second light scattering structure facing away from the light emitting element to propagate to the first light scattering structure without being reflected by the reflecting structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first light diffusing structure and/or the second light diffusing structure is made of a translucent material.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first light diffusing structure and the second light diffusing structure are preferably integrally formed by an extrusion process.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first light diffusing structure and the second light diffusing structure are made of the same light diffusing material.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first and the second light diffusing structures intersect each other, in particular are arranged substantially perpendicular to each other.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the bezel further comprises a light homogenizing cavity at least partly delimited by the first light diffusing structure, the second light diffusing structure and the reflecting structure, and a receiving cavity for receiving the light source assembly, wherein the light homogenizing cavity is at least partly separated from the receiving cavity by the second light diffusing structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the bezel further comprises a housing having a low light transmittance with respect to the first light diffusing structure and/or the second light diffusing structure, the housing portion being located at the light emitting side.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the lamp frame is circumferentially closed.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light homogenizing chamber is circumferentially closed.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the receiving chamber is circumferentially closed.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light homogenizing cavity is spaced apart from the receiving cavity by the first light diffusing structure and/or the second light diffusing structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the reflective structure is at least partially formed by the housing.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the housing is at least partly made of white material.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light emitting element is arranged facing away from the light emitting side.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the lighting assembly further comprises a printed circuit board and a controller, the lighting element and the controller being located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board, respectively.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the bezel further comprises a scattering enhancement structure extending from the second light diffusing structure towards the light emitting element for receiving light from the light emitting element and for conducting light to the second light diffusing structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light emitting element is arranged adjacent to the second light scattering structure, in particular adjacent to the scattering enhancement structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the printed circuit board blocks the direct propagation of the light emitted by the light emitting element towards the light emitting side.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the scattering enhancement structure is configured to be able to exert a retaining effect on the light emitting assembly.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the scattering enhancement structure and the second light scattering structure are preferably integrally formed from the same material by an extrusion process.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the reflecting structure is arranged at least partially obliquely with respect to the first light diffusing structure to allow light rays to be reflected from the reflecting structure at least partially towards the first light diffusing structure.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the periphery of the lamp frame is provided with a positioning convex hull.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first light diffusing structure is arranged relatively concavely at the light emitting side.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the positioning bulge is integrally formed on a side of the lamp frame facing away from the light emitting side.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light emitting side is configured in a stepped shape.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the bezel is preferably integrally formed by an extrusion process.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the bezel is configured as a band.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light source assembly is configured as a strip, preferably comprising a plurality of strip-shaped subassemblies that are spliced to each other in the longitudinal direction, wherein adjacent subassemblies are simultaneously mechanically and electrically connected by means of snap elements.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the bezel is configured to allow the light source assembly to be inserted through the end.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light emitting element is configured as a light emitting diode.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the lamp further comprises a resilient cover for closing the end opening of the lamp frame, the resilient cover being provided with a wire-passing hole for passing a wire.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light source assembly is held within the bezel by means of an edge area of the printed circuit board.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the snap element has two legs which are respectively inserted into receptacles of adjacent subassemblies.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the snap element is made of metal.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the catch element is configured as a staple.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the receptacle is formed through in the printed circuit board of the subassembly.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first light diffusing structure is integrally formed with the housing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a household appliance comprising a lamp according to any of the embodiments described above, preferably the lamp is a handle lamp, which is arranged in a cavity of a handle of the household appliance to allow light to be emitted from an outside of the handle of the household appliance.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the handle light is arranged in a grip portion of the handle, a light-transmitting notch is arranged on the outer side of the grip portion, and the first light-diffusing structure of the handle light is arranged facing the light-transmitting notch.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first light diffusing structure is arranged spaced apart from the light transmissive notch.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the positioning projection provided on the side of the lamp frame facing away from the light-emitting side is brought into line contact with the corresponding wall of the chamber for positioning.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the household appliance is a refrigerator and the handle is a door handle of the refrigerator.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the handle is configured as an integrally formed aluminum alloy handle.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the handle light is configured as a light strip extending continuously along the handle.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the chamber is circumferentially closed and extends therethrough.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the grip recess of the handle has a uniform cross section.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the handle extends along the entire vertical edge of the door of the refrigerator.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the handle light extends along at least half of the length of the entire vertical edge of the door of the refrigerator.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the two ends of the gripping recess of the handle are open longitudinally, in particular in correspondence with the cross section of the gripping recess, to the two ends of the door of the refrigerator.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the outside of the door of the refrigerator is provided with a decorative panel, such as glass, which is fixed to the protruding rim of the handle by being overlapped from the outside and arranged side by side with the handle.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the handle is configured to partially delimit a foaming chamber of a door of a refrigerator.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the end, in particular the upper end, of the handle is provided with a notch for the passage of a wire to electrically connect the handle lamp with the control device of the refrigerator.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the door of the refrigerator further comprises a first end cap capable of closing the first end opening of the chamber and/or a second end cap capable of closing the second end opening of the chamber.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light emitting area of the handle light is arranged spaced apart from the light transmitting slot.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the handle light is well suited for a narrow handle space, and emits light more uniformly, and is simpler in structure, manufacture, and assembly.

Drawings

The principles, features and advantages of the present invention may be better understood by describing the present invention in more detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings include:

fig. 1 illustrates a front view of a home appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with a refrigerator having a door in a closed state.

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a door of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1, to which a handle lamp according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is mounted, to better reveal a mounting position of the handle lamp in a handle.

Fig. 3 shows a handle, a handle lamp and a lower end cap of a door of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1 and 2 in an exploded view.

Fig. 4 shows a lateral cross-section of a handle lamp according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows in a sectional view the fitting of the handle lamp to the cavity of the handle in the assembled state.

Fig. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a band-shaped light source assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 shows an exploded view of a handle lamp according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein both end regions of the handle lamp are shown in a partially enlarged view for clarity.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the handle lamp according to fig. 7 in the assembled state, again with an end region of the handle lamp shown partially enlarged for the sake of clarity.

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantageous technical effects to be solved by the present invention more apparent, the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and that various embodiments may be described in conjunction with the same drawing or drawings, but not all features that appear in the same drawing as what an embodiment must possess.

First, the description of the invention in the background section may be recalled or recalled for ease of understanding. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp with uniform illumination, in particular a handle lamp suitable for use in integrally formed aluminium alloy handles. Before starting the description, it is pointed out that for convenience, it is possible to use herein directional terms or directional terms, with respect to the usual use conditions of a household appliance, in particular a refrigerator, as will be clear to a person skilled in the art from the description of the present invention without causing any confusion. In this case, the azimuth term and the direction term should not be interpreted simply as azimuth or direction in any state.

Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of a home appliance 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with a refrigerator in which a door 11 is in a closed state.

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a door 11 of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1, to which a handle lamp 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is mounted, to better reveal a mounting position of the handle lamp 2 in a handle 3.

Fig. 3 shows the handle 3, the handle lamp 2 and the lower cover 4 of the door 11 of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1 and 2 in an exploded view. It will be appreciated that the door 11 also includes an upper end cap (not shown).

As shown in fig. 1, 2 and 3, the handle lamp 2 is mounted as the name implies at the handle 3 of the household appliance 1 to provide a light presentation, status display and/or illumination at the handle 3. Specifically, the handle 3 includes a cavity 31 for mounting the handle lamp 2, a handle outer side portion 32 exposed to the outside of the door 11 (i.e., forming part of the outer surface of the door 11), a grip portion 33 for gripping by a user's fingers in use, and a grip recess 35 into which the user's fingers extend in use. As can be seen in the figures and as can be readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, the grip portion 33 defines the grip recess 35 locally from the outside. Preferably, the cavity 31 is formed in the grip portion 33 and allows light of the handle lamp 2 to be emitted from the handle outer side portion 32, which arrangement is very advantageous, for example for easy viewing by a user. For this purpose, a translucent portion, in particular a translucent slot 34 can be provided in the handle outer portion 32. The light-transmitting notch 34 is band-shaped, and the handle lamp 2 is also band-shaped, so that a lamp strip is formed on the handle outer side 32, which configuration can improve the quality of the refrigerator and improve the use experience of the user.

As can be seen from fig. 1 and 2, the front side of the door 11 also comprises a decorative panel 111 which is spliced with the handle outer side 32 of the handle 3, i.e. the decorative panel 111 also forms part of the outer surface of the door 11. The decorative panel 111 is preferably glass, particularly dark glass. Of course, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the trim panel 111 may also be any desired type of panel, such as a panel coated with a corresponding pigment. In particular, according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the door 11 consists only or primarily of the decorative panel 111 and the handle outer side 32 of the handle 3, irrespective of possible edge structures and/or other minor structures. More generally, 90%, particularly 95% or more of the outer surface of the door 11 of the refrigerator is constituted by the decorative panel 111 and the handle outer portion 32 of the handle 3.

As can also be seen from fig. 1 and 2, both the decorative panel 111 and the handle 3 (in particular the handle outer side 32 thereof) extend vertically, in particular with a constant width in the vertical direction. The decorative panel 111 and the handle 3 extend along the entire height of the door 11, or more than 90%, more particularly more than 95% of the entire height, in height. Preferably, the decorative panel 111 is arranged side by side with the handle 3 (in particular the handle outer side portion 32 thereof) in the lateral direction (horizontal direction in fig. 1).

As far as the handle light 2 is concerned, the handle light 2 may extend along at least half, in particular more than 70%, of the length of the entire vertical edge of the door 11 of the ice bin.

As shown in fig. 1, the door 11 may cover the entire vertical height of the refrigerator to be covered in the vertical direction. In this case, the handle 3 may extend vertically through, for example, up to 1.9 meters, the length of the handle lamp 2 may be relatively long, for example, the length of the light-transmitting slot 34 may be up to 1.5 meters, and particularly, the combination of the decorative panel 111 and the handle 3 may greatly improve the quality of the refrigerator. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific length of the handle 3, the specific length of the light-transmitting slot 34 and the specific length of the handle light 2 may depend on the type of refrigerator, and the above list is merely exemplary.

In particular, the decorative panel 111 is arranged overlapping the handle 3 such that only the handle outer side 32 of the handle 3 is exposed from the outside, i.e. a part of the handle 3 may also be hidden behind the decorative panel 111. Preferably, as shown in fig. 5, which will be described later, the handle 3 includes a trim 36 extending in the direction of the decorative panel 111 to form a step for placing the decorative panel 111, the decorative panel 111 may be placed on the trim 36 from outside in lap joint, and the decorative panel 111 may be fixed on the trim 36 by an adhesive, for example. In the case where the decorative panel 111 is glass, the height of the step (or the handle outer side portion 32) is slightly higher than the height of the glass so that the gap between the glass and the handle step can be weakened from the user's view point.

As mentioned above, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the handle 3 is configured as an integrally formed aluminum alloy handle. The aluminum alloy handle is easy to process, has attractive appearance and reliable strength, and is particularly suitable for being processed by integrally formed aluminum alloy sections. The integral molding mode can greatly reduce the subsequent manufacturing difficulty, and particularly the cavity of the aluminum alloy section can be utilized, for example, the handle lamp 2 is installed as described above.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, as shown in fig. 1, the handle light 2 may be configured as a light strip extending continuously along the handle 3, in particular as well as the handle 3, the handle light 2 also extending vertically. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any other desired arrangement may be used, for example, the light-transmitting slot 34 may be configured in two spaced apart sections so that a two-section light strip will be presented on the handle exterior side 32 of the handle 3.

For handles 3 made of aluminum alloy profiles, the chamber 31 for receiving the handle lamp 2 can be a longitudinally through, in particular also circumferentially closed, cavity. At this time, the grip recess 35 of the handle 3 may also have a uniform cross section in the longitudinal direction.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the handle 3 is configured to partially delimit the foaming chamber of the door 11 of the refrigerator, i.e. the handle 3 participates in surrounding the foaming chamber, so that after foaming the foaming material may come into contact with the corresponding portion of the handle 3.

It will be appreciated that the handle lamp 2 is an electrical component, which requires receiving an electrical current from the outside, and that a corresponding electrical connection is required in order to be able to control it. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, notches (not shown) through which wires pass may be laterally opened at both ends, particularly at the upper end, of the handle 3 to electrically connect the handle lamp 2 with a control device (not shown) of the refrigerator. The notch can be easily formed by machining.

In addition, as shown in fig. 3, the lower end cap 4 serves to close the bottom end opening of the chamber 31. As can be seen in fig. 3, the lower end cap 4 may, as an exemplary embodiment, not only close the bottom end opening of the chamber 31, but may also cooperate with other components such as a decorative panel 111, a liner (not shown), etc. to close other parts to be closed, for example, to form the bottom boundary of the foaming chamber. The upper end cap may be similarly constructed or consist of two separate covers, one larger cover for defining the top boundary of the foaming chamber and defining an electrical connector chamber for receiving an electrical connector for the handle lamp 2, and a smaller cover which may cooperate with the larger cover to close the electrical connector chamber, thereby facilitating repair or overhaul of the electrical connector. Part of the boundary of the electrical connector chamber may be defined by the handle 3. The notch through which the wire passes communicates the chamber 31 with the electrical connector chamber.

As shown in fig. 3, the lower end cap 4 is provided with a corresponding notch 41 so that the lower end of the grip recess 35 of the handle 3 is longitudinally (vertically in fig. 1) opened to the lower end of the door 11 of the refrigerator in correspondence with the cross section of the grip recess 35. In other words, any portion of the lower end cap 4 cannot intrude into the cross-sectional area of the grip groove 35, as viewed in the longitudinal direction. Similarly, the upper end cap may also be so configured and will not be described in detail herein.

Next, the basic configuration of the handle lamp 2 will be described with emphasis. Fig. 4 shows a lateral cross-section of a handle lamp 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. For the refrigerator of fig. 1, fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the handle lamp 2 taken along a horizontal plane.

The handle lamp 2 shown in fig. 4 relates to improvements in several respects, in particular: 1) The light path arrangement of the handle lamp 2; 2) The arrangement of the lamp frame of the handle lamp 2; 3) A light source assembly. Of course, the improved aspects may not be limited in this regard.

To this end, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handle lamp 2 for a household appliance 1, comprising: a lamp housing 21 and a light source assembly 22 mounted to the lamp housing 21, the light source assembly 22 including light emitting elements 221 (which may be, for example, light emitting diodes, in particular, a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a vertical row spaced apart from one another) for generating light. As shown in fig. 4, the lamp frame 21 includes: a first light diffusing structure 211, a second light diffusing structure 212 and a reflecting structure 213 for diffusing light outwards at the light emitting side 23 of the handlebar lamp 2, i.e. outgoing light; wherein the handle lamp 2 is configured to allow at least a part of the light emitted by the light emitting element 221 to propagate through the second light diffusing structure 212 before propagating to the reflecting structure 213 and to be at least partially reflected, in particular diffusely reflected, towards the first light diffusing structure 211. The outer surface of the first light diffusing structure 211 is preferably configured in a planar fashion, as this portion may need to be exposed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handle lamp 2 for a household appliance 1, comprising: the lamp comprises a lamp frame 21 and a light source assembly 22 mounted on the lamp frame 21, wherein the light source assembly 22 comprises a light emitting element 221 for generating light. As shown in fig. 4, the lamp frame 21 includes: a first light diffusing structure 211 for diffusing light outwardly at the light emitting side 23 of the handle lamp 2 and a housing 216 having a lower light transmittance relative to the first light diffusing structure 211; wherein the first light diffusing structure 211 is integrally formed with the housing 216.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handle lamp 2 for a household appliance 1, comprising: the lamp frame 21 and the strip-shaped light source assembly 22 mounted on the lamp frame 21, wherein the light source assembly 22 comprises a strip-shaped printed circuit board 222, a plurality of light emitting elements 221 positioned on a first side of the printed circuit board 222, and a controller 223 positioned on an opposite second side of the printed circuit board 222, the controller 223 controlling the light emitting elements 221.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of light emitting elements 221 may be preferably uniformly spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the printed circuit board 222.

In fig. 4, the light path of the handle lamp 2 is schematically shown with a straight arrow. The first light diffusing structure 211 is a region where the handle lamp 2 desires to emit light outward. The first light-diffusing structure, as its name implies, has the effect of diffusing the light so that the light can be dispersed so that the light is emitted from the first light-diffusing structure 211 as uniformly as possible. As shown in fig. 4, the light emitted from the light emitting element 221 does not directly strike the first light scattering structure 211, but does not strike the reflecting structure 213, but at least a portion of the light emitted from the light emitting element 221 passes through the second light scattering structure 212 and then strikes the reflecting structure 213, and then is reflected from the reflecting structure 213 toward the first light scattering structure 211. In this case, at least part of the light emitted from the light emitting element 221 undergoes at least two scattering and one reflection, in particular diffuse reflection, before exiting from the first light scattering structure 211. After being scattered by the second light-scattering structure 212, the light is relatively uniformly emitted from the side of the second light-scattering structure 212 facing away from the light-emitting element 221, and then reflected by the reflecting structure 213, so that the light emitted from the first light-scattering structure 211 is more uniform. Thus, even if the plurality of light emitting elements 221 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, the light is finally uniformly emitted from the first light diffusing structure 211.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the handle lamp 2 is configured to allow a portion of the light propagating within the second light diffusing structure 212 to be conducted toward the inside of the first light diffusing structure 211. Also schematically shown in fig. 4 by straight arrows is the propagation of part of the light inside the second light scattering structure 212 towards the inside of the first light scattering structure 211. Due to the scattering effect, the portion of the light may actually be repeatedly reflected and scattered to reach the first light scattering structure 211. In this case, the light can be utilized as efficiently as possible.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the handle lamp 2 is configured to allow a portion of light scattered from a side of the second light scattering structure 212 facing away from the light emitting element 221 to propagate to the first light scattering structure 211 without being reflected by the reflecting structure 213.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first light diffusing structure 211 and/or the second light diffusing structure 212 are made of a translucent material. The semitransparent material can realize a certain degree of shielding and can also better scatter light.

As shown in fig. 4, the first light diffusing structure 211 is integrally formed with the second light diffusing structure 212, in particular from the same light diffusing material. For example, the first light diffusing structure 211 and the second light diffusing structure 212 may be integrally formed by an extrusion molding process.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the first light diffusing structure 211 and the second light diffusing structure 212 intersect each other, and are particularly arranged substantially perpendicular to each other.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the bezel 21 further comprises a light homogenizing cavity 214 at least partially delimited by the first light diffusing structure 211, the second light diffusing structure 212 and the reflecting structure 213, and a receiving cavity 215 for receiving the light source assembly 22, wherein the light homogenizing cavity 214 is at least partially separated from the receiving cavity 215 by the second light diffusing structure 212. As described above, the light homogenizing chamber 214 can influence the propagation characteristics of the light to the first light diffusing structure 211 and/or the second light diffusing structure 212 so as to make the light emitted from the first light diffusing structure 211 as uniform as possible.

The light homogenization cavity 214 may be a cavity that is only naturally filled with air. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in principle, other mediums may be filled in the light homogenizing chamber 214 to help homogenize the light or to increase the stability of the bezel.

The light homogenization chamber 214 is arranged side by side with the accommodation chamber 215, and in particular, when the handle lamp 2 is arranged in the chamber 31 of the handle 3, the light homogenization chamber 214 is arranged side by side with the accommodation chamber 215 in the width direction of the door 11, which makes it possible to make full use of the chamber 31 of the aluminum alloy handle.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the bezel 21 further comprises a housing 216 having a low light transmittance with respect to the first light diffusing structure 211 and/or the second light diffusing structure 212, said housing 216 being partly located at the light emitting side 23. The housing 216 may in principle block the light from leaking therefrom as much as possible to allow the light to exit the first light-diffusing structure 211 uniformly, however, it is not necessary to completely limit the light from leaking from the housing 216, as long as the housing 216 has a relatively low transmittance.

As shown in fig. 4, at the light emitting side 23, not only the first light diffusing structure 211 but also a portion of the housing 216 extends to the light emitting side 23. In this way, it may be more advantageous to reliably, in particular atraumatically, hold the handle lamp 2 in the chamber 31.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the lamp frame 21 is circumferentially closed as shown in fig. 4. As can also be seen from fig. 4, the light homogenizing chamber 214 is circumferentially closed and the receiving chamber 215 is also circumferentially closed.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the light homogenizing chamber 214 is spaced apart, in particular completely spaced apart in the circumferential direction, from the receiving chamber 215 by the first light diffusing structure 211 and/or the second light diffusing structure 212.

As can be seen in fig. 4, the reflective structure 213 may be formed at least in part by the housing 216, especially in case the housing 216 is at least partially made of white material. The inner surface of the housing 216 made of white material has good diffuse reflection characteristics.

Advantageously, for the handle lamp 2, the rest, except for the first light-diffusing structure 211 in circumferential direction, is formed or defined by the housing 216, whereas the housing 216 itself is preferably integrally formed.

As shown in fig. 4, the bezel 21 further comprises a scattering enhancement structure 217 extending or protruding from the second light diffusing structure 212 towards the light emitting element 221 for receiving light from the light emitting element 221 and for conducting light to the second light diffusing structure 212, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The light emitting element 221 is arranged adjacent to the second light diffusing structure 212, in particular adjacent to the scattering enhancement structure 217. Therefore, the light emitting element 221 is positionally more biased to the second light diffusing structure 212.

The scattering enhancement structure 217 is used to scatter the light emitted from the light emitting element 221 before the light propagates to the second light scattering structure 212, so that the light can be more uniformly distributed in the second light scattering structure 212, and the light emitted from the first light scattering structure 211 can be very uniform after subsequent reflection and the action of the first light scattering structure 211.

Due to the small internal space of the aluminium alloy handle, in particular the space of the cavity 31, taking into account the ergonomic design itself, the dimensions of the lamp frame 21 itself, in particular the wall thickness of the individual parts thereof, should be very small, for example around 1mm, so that the light scattering effect in the second light scattering structure 212 is not sufficient. Therefore, it is very advantageous to provide the scattering enhancement structure 217. According to one exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 4, it is contemplated that the path length of the light in the light diffusing material may be increased to increase the light diffusing effect, i.e. the scattering enhancement structure 217 is here configured as a protruding structure protruding from the second light diffusing structure 212.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the scattering enhancement structure 217 and the second light scattering structure 212 are preferably integrally formed of the same material by an extrusion molding process.

As can also be seen from fig. 4, the scattering enhancement structure 217 is configured to also be able to exert a retaining effect on the light emitting assembly 22.

Next, how to hold the light source assembly 22, in particular, how to hold the light source assembly 22 relatively stably within the receiving cavity 215 of the bezel 21 will be described with reference to fig. 4. To this end, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the handle lamp 2 includes a holding structure for holding the light source assembly 22, the holding structure including a first pair of holding protrusions 26 spaced apart from each other protruding from the second light diffusing structure 212 and a second pair of holding protrusions 27 spaced apart from each other protruding from the inner side of the housing 216, one side of the light source assembly 22 (which may be, in particular, one side of the printed circuit board 222) being held between the first pair of holding protrusions 26, and the opposite side (which may be, in particular, the other side of the printed circuit board 222) being held between the second pair of holding protrusions 27. The first pair of retaining projections 26 is preferably arranged opposite the second pair of retaining projections 27.

As shown in fig. 4, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, one of the first pair of holding projections 26 (i.e., the upper holding projection in fig. 4) that is closer to the light emitting side 23 is shorter than the other of the first pair of holding projections 26 (i.e., the lower holding projection in fig. 4). Similarly, one of the second pair of holding projections 27 that is closer to the light emitting side 23 is shorter than the other holding projection of the second pair of holding projections 27. Of course, the relative dimensional relationships of these retaining projections are not absolute, so long as the light source assembly 222 is relatively securely retained.

It is particularly preferred that one of the holding projections 26 of the first pair that is farther from the light emitting side 23 (i.e., the lower holding projection in fig. 4) is configured as the scattering enhancement structure 217. In this way, the structure can be greatly simplified.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first pair of holding protrusions 26 are integrally formed with the second light diffusing structure 212 through an extrusion molding process. Similarly, the second pair of holding projections 27 is integrally formed with the housing 216 by an extrusion molding process.

As shown in fig. 4, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the light emitting element 221 is disposed opposite to the light emitting side 23, i.e., the light emitting element 221 is directed away from the light emitting side 23 or the light emitted by the light emitting element 221 is mainly or entirely irradiated opposite to the light emitting side 23. Especially in combination with other shielding structures, such as a printed circuit board, such that the optical fibers emitted by the light emitting element 221 cannot propagate directly to the light emitting side 23.

As described above, the light emitting assembly 22 further includes the printed circuit board 222 and the controller 223, and the light emitting element 221 and the controller 223 are respectively located at opposite sides of the printed circuit board 222. The controller 223 as a control chip or a driving chip may be used to control the light emitting state of the corresponding light emitting element 221 or to drive the corresponding light emitting element 221 to emit light.

As shown in fig. 4, the printed circuit board 222 blocks the direct propagation of the light emitted from the light emitting element 221 toward the light emitting side 23. Such shielding can prevent the first light scattering structure 211 from uneven light emission caused by direct light of the light emitting element 221.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the reflecting structure 213 is arranged at least partially obliquely with respect to the first light scattering structure 211 to allow light rays to be reflected from the reflecting structure 213 at least partially towards the first light scattering structure 211.

More specifically, as shown in fig. 4, the portions defining the light homogenizing chamber 214 facing the first light diffusing structure 211 and the second light diffusing structure 212 may each be regarded as a reflecting structure. In fig. 4, the reflective structure 213 may include three segments having different extending directions from each other. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, it is also possible that the light reflected by the reflecting structure 213 propagates towards the second light scattering structure 212.

The bezel 21 is configured to allow for insertion of the light source assembly 22 through the ends, for example as shown by the dashed arrow in fig. 3. To this end, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, the outer circumference of the lamp frame 21 is provided with positioning bosses 218 (two in fig. 4). By positioning the bulge 218, the surface contact of the lamp frame 21 with the corresponding wall of the cavity 31 can be changed into a line contact, which can greatly facilitate the assembly of the handle lamp 2 with an aluminum alloy handle. Fig. 5 shows in a sectional view the fitting of the handle lamp 2 with the cavity 31 of the handle 3 in the assembled state, as can be seen from fig. 5, the contact area on that side of the positioning projection 218 is significantly reduced, facilitating the insertion. This is particularly advantageous in view of the fact that manufacturing tolerances may vary. The two locating projections 218 are spaced apart and extend parallel to one another.

Preferably, the positioning projection 218 is integrally formed on a side of the bezel 21 facing away from the light emitting side 23. This is very easy to achieve for the extrusion process and the positioning bosses 218 may also act to strengthen the lamp frame 21 to some extent.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, the first light diffusing structure 211 is relatively concavely disposed at the light emitting side 23. In other words, on the light-emitting side 23, the first light-diffusing structure 211 is disposed relatively concavely with respect to the peripheral region, so that damage caused by direct contact of the first light-diffusing structure 211 with the corresponding wall of the cavity 31 during insertion can be avoided. In particular, for the aluminum alloy handle, the light-transmitting notch 34 is formed by post-machining, and thus, the light-transmitting notch 34 corresponding to the first light-diffusing structure 211 is inevitably burred, which easily scratches the surface of the first light-diffusing structure 211. Advantageously, by arranging the first light diffusing structure 211 relatively concavely, it is possible to avoid that the first light diffusing structure 211 is scratched by burrs or is ground by the walls of the cavity 31 during assembly. Moreover, contact with the walls of the chamber 31 is reduced, facilitating insertion. This is better understood with particular reference to fig. 5, as shown in fig. 5, due to the relatively concave arrangement, the first light diffusing structure 211 is arranged spaced apart from the corresponding wall (i.e. outer side wall) of the chamber 31.

Further, as shown in fig. 4, the lamp frame 21 is provided with a sinking step at the light emitting side 23, at which the first light diffusing structure 211 is arranged. At this time, the light emitting side 23 is stepped.

As shown in fig. 5, the interior of the grip portion 33 of the handle 3 includes, in addition to the chamber 31, a chamber disposed at a lateral edge portion of the grip portion 33, that is, disposed outside the chamber 31 in the lateral direction (i.e., in the width direction of the door). In other words, the two chambers are arranged side by side laterally and are separated from each other by a respective wall. This increases the strength of the handle on the one hand and better defines the boundaries of the cavity 31 on the other hand, in order to more accurately insert the handle lamp 2.

As described above, the first light diffusing structure 211 and the second light diffusing structure 212 may be integrally formed through an extrusion molding process, and the housing 216 may be integrally formed through an extrusion molding process, however, this still requires a subsequent assembly process. More advantageously, the bezel 21, including all of the first light diffusing structure 211, the second light diffusing structure 212, and the housing 216, are preferably integrally formed together by an extrusion process. This means that the lamp frame 21 can be an integral part, which eliminates the need for subsequent operations for assembling the lamp frame. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art from the cross-sectional view of fig. 4, this configuration is particularly suited for extrusion molding processes. As can also be seen from fig. 4, the wall thickness of the various parts of the lamp frame 21 is substantially uniform, and is also particularly suitable for use with extrusion processes.

Preferably, the first light diffusing structure 211 and/or the second light diffusing structure 212 and the housing 216 are made of the same material containing different coloring components. For example, with respect to the molding material, the housing 216 may be augmented with some white pigment relative to the first light diffusing structure 211 and/or the second light diffusing structure 212 to reduce the light transmittance of the housing 216. Of course, those skilled in the art will also appreciate that they may be made of different materials. In any event, in order to be integrally formed, the first light diffusing structure 211 and/or the second light diffusing structure 212 are well fused together at the location where they are joined to the housing 216, and for this reason, the materials should have good compatibility and the shrinkage ratio of the materials should be relatively close.

The lamp frame 21 is here configured as a strip, and as mentioned above, the light source assembly 22 is also strip-shaped. In particular, as shown in fig. 1, in order to construct such a long lamp strip, the printed circuit board 222 as the carrying light emitting element 221 also needs to be constructed long, for example, 1.7 meters. However, the SMT (surface mount technology) process of the ultra-long type printed circuit board is difficult, and for this purpose, a special design of the light source module 22 is required.

Fig. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a ribbon-shaped light source assembly 22 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The light source assembly 22 comprises a plurality (two in this example) of ribbon-like subassemblies 224 longitudinally spliced to one another, wherein adjacent subassemblies 224 are simultaneously mechanically and electrically connected by snap-fit elements 225. In particular, receptacles may be provided at the ends of the printed circuit boards 222 of adjacent subassemblies 224 to be connected, respectively, with one leg of the snap element 225 being inserted into a receptacle on the printed circuit board of one subassembly 224 and the other leg being inserted into a receptacle on the printed circuit board of the adjacent other subassembly 224. To further strengthen and secure the connection, solder may be used to solder the legs into the corresponding receptacles. If the catch element 225 is made of an electrically conductive metal, an electrical connection can also be achieved by means of the catch element 225. In this case, the receptacle is configured as a printed circuit board via, with the receptacle being formed through in the printed circuit board 222 of the subassembly 224.

In fig. 6, the catch element 225 is configured as a staple. Two catch elements 225 are used in fig. 6. In practice, more catch elements 225 may be configured as the case may be, in which case not all catch elements 225 may function as electrical connections at the same time.

Although connection between adjacent subassemblies 224 is shown in fig. 6 as being made by two snap elements 225, it is clearly preferred to use three snap elements 225. In this case, one pair of catch elements 225 is used to transmit power and the other catch element 225 may be used to transmit a signal.

To achieve good fixing and holding action, the section between the two legs of the catch element 225 is rigid.

When the refrigerator is formed by splicing a plurality of subassemblies 224, a control chip can be arranged on the subassembly 224 directly electrically connected with the control device of the refrigerator, and corresponding driving chips can be arranged on other subassemblies 224. The control chip is electrically connected to the control means of the refrigerator to obtain power and signals, which are supplied to the other sub-assembly 224 via the snap element 225, which other sub-assembly 224 can in turn supply power and signals to the next sub-assembly 224 (if any), and so on.

Fig. 7 shows an exploded view of the handle lamp 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein both end regions of the handle lamp 2 are shown in a partially enlarged view for clarity. Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the handle lamp 2 according to fig. 7 in the assembled state, again with an end region of the handle lamp 2 shown partially enlarged for the sake of clarity.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the handle lamp 2 further includes an elastic cover 24 for closing the end opening of the lamp frame 21, the elastic cover 24 being provided with a wire passing hole 241 allowing the wire 25 electrically connected with the light source assembly 22 to pass therethrough. The elastic cover 24 can on the one hand act to close the openings at both ends of the lamp frame 21 and protect the internal electrical circuit, on the other hand also form a certain buffer effect in the axial direction, in particular the elasticity of the elastic cover 24 can in principle also compensate to a certain extent the positioning of the handle lamp 2 in the cavity 31 of the handle 3 to accommodate possible tolerance variations. However, those skilled in the art will also appreciate that closures that are not elastomeric may also be employed. The invention is not limited in this regard.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the resilient cover 24 may, in an assembled state, end-stop the light source assembly 22 against the end of the light source assembly 22.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the light source assembly 22 is electrically connected to the control device of the household appliance 1 only through one end, in particular the upper end. The electrical connection leads shown in fig. 7 and 8 are located at the lower end, just for better illustration.

Above, the handle lamp 2 and the assembly of the handle lamp 2 in the cavity 31 of the handle 3 have been described, such an ultra-long handle lamp 2 being particularly suitable for use as an atmosphere lamp and/or for exhibiting the state of a refrigerator outwards. For this, as described above, the controller 223 of the handle lamp 2 is communicatively connected with the control device of the refrigerator.

It is pointed out here that although the inventive idea has been described above with reference to the drawings taking the handle lamp 2 as an example, it is obvious that such a lamp can also be used in other areas of a household appliance, in particular in elongated areas, such as at the edges of a non-handle.

Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, even where only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. The characteristic examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, unless a different expression is explicitly made. In a specific implementation, the features may be combined with each other where technically feasible according to actual requirements. Various substitutions, alterations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

1. A lamp, such as a handle lamp (2), for a household appliance (1), comprising:

A lamp frame (21); and

A light source assembly (22) mounted to the lamp frame (21) and including a light emitting element (221) for generating light;

Wherein the lamp frame (21) comprises:

a first light diffusing structure (211) for diffusing light outwards at a light emitting side (23) of the lamp;

A second light diffusing structure (212); and

A reflective structure (213);

Wherein the lamp is configured to allow at least a portion of the light emitted by the light emitting element (221) to propagate through the second light diffusing structure (212) before propagating to the reflecting structure (213) and then to reflect at least partially towards the first light diffusing structure (211).

2. A lamp as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that,

The lamp is configured to allow a portion of the light propagating within the second light diffusing structure (212) to be conducted towards the interior of the first light diffusing structure (211); and/or

The lamp is configured to allow a portion of light scattered from a side of the second light scattering structure (212) facing away from the light emitting element (221) to propagate to the first light scattering structure (211) without being reflected by the reflecting structure (213); and/or

The first light diffusing structure (211) and/or the second light diffusing structure (212) are made of a translucent material.

3. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

The first light diffusing structure (211) and the second light diffusing structure (212) are preferably integrally formed by an extrusion process; and/or

-The first light diffusing structure (211) and the second light diffusing structure (212) are made of the same light diffusing material; and/or

The first light diffusing structure (211) and the second light diffusing structure (212) intersect each other, in particular are arranged substantially perpendicular to each other.

4. A lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that,

The bezel (21) further comprises a light homogenizing cavity (214) at least partly delimited by the first light diffusing structure (211), the second light diffusing structure (212) and the reflecting structure (213), and a receiving cavity (215) for receiving the light source assembly (22), wherein the light homogenizing cavity (214) is at least partly separated from the receiving cavity (215) by the second light diffusing structure (212); and/or

The bezel (21) further comprises a housing (216) having a low light transmittance with respect to the first light diffusing structure (211) and/or the second light diffusing structure (212), the housing (216) being partly located at the light emitting side (23); and/or

The lamp frame (21) is circumferentially closed.

5. A lamp as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that,

The light homogenizing cavity (214) is circumferentially closed; and/or

The accommodating cavity (215) is circumferentially closed; and/or

-Said light homogenizing cavity (214) is spaced apart from said containing cavity (215) by said first light diffusing structure (211) and/or said second light diffusing structure (212); and/or

-Said reflecting structure (213) is at least partially formed by said housing (216); and/or

The housing (216) is at least partially made of white material.

6. A lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that,

The light-emitting element (221) is arranged facing away from the light-emitting side (23); and/or

The light emitting assembly (22) further comprises a printed circuit board (222) and a controller (223), the light emitting element (221) and the controller (223) being respectively located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board (222); and/or

The bezel (21) further comprises a scattering enhancement structure (217) extending from the second light diffusing structure (212) towards the light emitting element (221) for receiving light from the light emitting element (221) and for conducting light to the second light diffusing structure (212).

7. A lamp as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that,

-Said light emitting element (221) is arranged adjacent to said second light diffusing structure (212), in particular adjacent to said scattering enhancement structure (217); and/or

-The printed circuit board (222) blocks the direct propagation of the light emitted by the light emitting element (221) towards the light emitting side (23); and/or

-The scattering enhancement structure (217) is configured to be able to exert a holding effect on the light emitting assembly (22); and/or

The scattering enhancement structure (217) and the second light scattering structure (212) are preferably integrally formed of the same material by an extrusion process.

8. A lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that,

-Said reflecting structure (213) is arranged at least partially obliquely with respect to the first light diffusing structure (211) allowing light rays to be reflected from said reflecting structure (213) at least partially towards said first light diffusing structure (211); and/or

The periphery of the lamp frame (21) is provided with a positioning convex hull (218); and/or

The first light-diffusing structure (211) is arranged relatively concavely at the light-emitting side (23).

9. A lamp as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that,

The positioning convex hull (218) is integrally formed on the side of the lamp frame (21) facing away from the light emitting side (23); and/or

The light emitting side (23) is configured in a stepped shape.

10. A lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that,

The bezel (21) is preferably integrally formed by an extrusion process; and/or

The lamp frame (21) is configured in a strip shape; and/or

The light source assembly (22) is configured as a strip, preferably comprising a plurality of strip-shaped subassemblies (224) that are longitudinally spliced to one another, wherein adjacent subassemblies (224) are simultaneously mechanically and electrically connected by means of a snap-fit element (225); and/or

The bezel (21) is configured to allow for end-on-plug mounting of the light source assembly (22); and/or

The light emitting element (221) is configured as a light emitting diode; and/or

The lamp further comprises an elastic cover (24) for closing the end opening of the lamp frame (21), the elastic cover (24) being provided with a wire-passing hole (241) through which the wire (25) passes.

11. A household appliance (1) comprising a lamp according to any one of claims 1-10, preferably the lamp is a handle lamp (2) arranged within a cavity (31) of a handle (3) of the household appliance (1) to allow light to be emitted from a handle outer side (32) of the household appliance (1).

12. Household appliance (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that,

The handle lamp (2) is arranged in a gripping part (33) of the handle (3), a light-transmitting notch (34) is formed in the outer side of the gripping part (33), and the first light-diffusing structure (211) of the handle lamp (2) is arranged facing the light-transmitting notch (34); and/or

The first light diffusing structure (211) is arranged spaced apart from the light transmissive notch (34); and/or

Positioning convex hulls (218) arranged on one side of the lamp frame (21) facing away from the light emitting side (23) are in line contact with corresponding walls of the cavity (31) to generate positioning action; and/or

The household appliance (1) is a refrigerator, and the handle (3) is a door handle of the refrigerator.

13. Household appliance (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that,

The handle (3) is configured as an integrally formed aluminum alloy handle; and/or

The handle light (2) is configured as a light strip extending continuously along the handle (3); and/or

The chamber (31) is circumferentially closed and extends through; and/or

The grip recess (35) of the handle (3) has a uniform cross section.

14. Household appliance (1) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that,

The handle (3) extends along the entire vertical edge of the door (11) of the refrigerator; and/or

The handle light (2) extends along at least half the length of the entire vertical edge of the door (11) of the refrigerator; and/or

Both ends of the grip recess (35) of the handle (3) are open longitudinally, in particular in correspondence with the cross section of the grip recess (35), to both ends of the door (11) of the refrigerator.

15. Household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that,

A decorative panel (111), such as glass, arranged side by side with the handle (3) by being provided with a protruding lap (36) externally lap-jointed and fixed to the handle (3) on the outer side of the door (11) of the refrigerator; and/or

The handle (3) is configured to partially delimit a foaming cavity of a door (11) of a refrigerator; and/or

The end part, particularly the upper end, of the handle (3) is provided with a notch for a lead to pass through so as to electrically connect the handle lamp (2) with a control device of the refrigerator; and/or

The door (11) of the refrigerator further comprises a first end cap capable of closing a first end opening of the chamber (31) and/or a second end cap capable of closing a second end opening of the chamber (31).