DE102009026659B4 - Household appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Household appliance (10) in the form of an oven, a refrigerator, a freezer, a washing machine or a tumble dryer with an openable front wall (20) which can be brought from a closed, first position into an at least slightly open, second position by means of an opening mechanism (30), wherein the front side (21) of the front wall (20) is handleless, and at least one handle device (26, 27, 28, 29) is provided on at least one of the side walls (22, 23, 24) of the front wall (20), which is accessible in the second position and with which the front wall (20) can be opened further.

Description

The present invention relates to a household appliance with an openable front wall.

Conventional household appliances usually have handles and/or recessed handles on the front wall or front panel for opening the front panel. The term “front panel” refers to the area of the front panel facing the user. However, a common problem here is that the design of the handles or recessed handles does not match the design of the handles or recessed handles on the other kitchen furniture fronts, which is aesthetically unsatisfactory. Furthermore, there is a certain trend in the kitchen furniture sector not to provide handles or recessed handles on the cabinet fronts, although the household appliance industry has not yet followed this trend. With such handle-free front panels, after the initial easy opening of the front panel by the opening mechanism, it is necessary to grab the front panel in order to open it fully. This handling is unsatisfactory.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of proposing a household appliance in which the front is aesthetically designed and which is also easy to open.

This object is achieved with a household appliance according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The basic idea of the invention is therefore to provide a household appliance with an openable front wall, which can be brought from a closed, first position into an at least slightly open, second position by means of an opening mechanism, with a handle-free front. The opening mechanism can therefore be operated without a handle on the front, e.g. by pressure, by tapping a certain point on the front, or without contact. In order to be able to open the front wall completely after operating the opening mechanism, at least one handle device is provided on at least one of the side walls of the front wall, which is accessible in the second, slightly open position and by means of which the front wall can be opened further.

By providing a handle in a side panel, the user is given the option of being able to grip the front wall in the second position at a precisely defined position or a plurality of precisely defined positions - depending on the design and arrangement of the handle - without having to rely on a handle on the front side, which could impair the aesthetically pleasing impression of a handle-free front side. The aforementioned opening mechanism is attached either to the body and/or to the front wall of the household appliance.

The term “side panels” refers to those sides of the front wall which extend in the thickness direction of the front wall, i.e. those surfaces which lie between the front side and the rear side of the front wall facing the interior of the household appliance.

The household appliance is a freestanding household appliance in the form of an oven, a refrigerator, a freezer, a washing machine or a tumble dryer.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an actuating device for the opening mechanism is attached to the front of the front wall, by means of which the opening mechanism can be actuated or triggered so that the front wall can be opened. It is preferred that the actuating device is, for example, a proximity sensor equipped with infrared detection or, for example, a touch sensor which detects a change in the conductivity of a touch field due to touch. Actuating devices of this type can also be designed as switches which actuate the opening mechanism automatically or semi-automatically. Alternatively, a push button can be provided as the actuating device, by means of which the opening mechanism can be triggered mechanically.

A particularly simple design of the handle device can be achieved by designing it as a recessed grip in the side wall. The recessed grip thus forms a recess or cutout provided in the side wall.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle device is made by an insert made of plastic or metal, for example, which is inserted into the side wall. Positive aesthetic effects can be achieved by selecting the appropriate color and material.

It can be advantageous if the handle is located in the upper area of a lateral side panel. This allows the front panel to be opened easily by grasping it on the side - not at the top or bottom. Alternatively, it can be advantageous to locate the handle in the middle of a side panel. This is particularly advantageous if the handle is located in the upper Side cheek is arranged, as then no or only very slight asymmetrical forces occur when opening the front wall. A particularly versatile opening option is provided when the handle device extends over two adjacent side cheeks, i.e. "around the corner". This means that the front wall can be opened, for example, by either grasping the lateral side cheek or the upper side cheek. Of course, two handle devices can also be provided, which extend from the upper side cheek into the adjacent lateral side cheek.

It is advantageous if a side panel is also used to attach a display and control unit for the household appliance. This protects the display and control unit because it is not accessible from the front, and it also prevents it from disrupting the design of the front, particularly its design as an uninterrupted surface. Alternatively, the display and control unit can of course also be attached to the front so that it is accessible at all times.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the front wall is designed as a door which is hinged by means of a hinge which is usually attached to the underside of the household appliance. In this embodiment, it is particularly advantageous if the handle device is arranged on the side wall which faces away from the hinge. This results in optimal handling of the door when opening.

Alternatively, the front wall of the household appliance according to the invention can also be designed as the front wall of a drawer that can be pulled out of the household appliance. In this case, the household appliance can not only be opened, but during the opening process, a part from the interior of the household appliance is simultaneously moved outwards.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the opening mechanism can be operated by touching or pressing on the front. It can also be advantageous if the opening mechanism can also be operated without contact. This can simplify handling when opening the front wall.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the household appliance according to the invention, the opening mechanism is designed as a so-called push-push mechanism, which is also known under the term "push-to-open, push-to-close". Push-push mechanisms of this type are known, for example, in connection with opening furniture doors without handles and are based, for example, on a rotary element moving transversely to the direction of pressure or on a heart-shaped curve mechanism. The use of a push-push mechanism of this type offers the advantage that the front wall only needs to be tapped and then opens automatically. The push-push mechanism is preferably also subjected to spring force so that a single press not only releases the lock in the first, closed position, but the front wall then automatically moves into the second, slightly open position.

It is preferred that the opening mechanism, regardless of its specific design, is generally subjected to a spring force and/or comprises a locking mechanism by means of which the body of the household appliance and the inside of the front wall are connected or locked and can also be released from each other again.

It may be advantageous if the opening mechanism comprises a motor with which the opening mechanism can be actuated. This actuation is preferably automatic.

It is preferable if the handle device is not accessible in the first position of the front wall - i.e. when the household appliance is closed - as it cannot then be a nuisance. This is possible, for example, if a worktop covering the top of the household appliance protrudes beyond the body and thus covers the upper side panel of the front wall. The household appliance is therefore preferably a built-in appliance, since with an appliance integrated into a kitchen front, the upper side panel, often also the lateral side panels, and thus also any handle devices located therein, are not visible from the outside. However, the invention can also be advantageously used for free-standing household appliances, so-called solo appliances.

• 1 eine perspektivische Ansicht von schräg oben auf eine erste Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts;
• 2 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Vorderwand einer zweiten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts;
• 3 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Vorderwand einer dritten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts;
• 4 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Vorderwand einer vierten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts; und
• 5 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Vorderwand einer fünften Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts.

Further advantages, features and special features of the invention emerge from the following detailed description of advantageous embodiments of the household appliance. They show:

• 1 a perspective view obliquely from above of a first embodiment of the household appliance according to the invention;
• 2 a perspective view of the front wall of a second embodiment of the household appliance according to the invention;
• 3 a perspective view of the front wall of a third embodiment of the household appliance according to the invention;
• 4 a perspective view of the front wall of a fourth embodiment of the household appliance according to the invention; and
• 5 a perspective view of the front wall of a fifth embodiment of the household appliance according to the invention.

1 shows a body 11 of a household appliance 10 according to the invention, here for example a dishwasher cabinet. A hinge 14 is attached to the underside 12 of the body 11, to which a front wall 20 designed as a door is hinged. This means that the door 20 can be pivoted about a substantially horizontal axis, whereby the interior of the household appliance 10 becomes accessible.

The door 20 has a front side 21 facing the user and a rear side facing the interior of the household appliance 10. An upper side cheek 24, two lateral side cheeks 22 and 23 and a lower side cheek extend between the front side 21 and the rear side on the top side, the bottom side and the two lateral sides in between.

The door 20 can be locked to the body 11 of the household appliance 10 by means of an opening mechanism 30. The opening mechanism 30 also serves to unlock the locked door 20 and to move it from the closed, first position to a second position in which the door is at least slightly open. The opening mechanism 30 preferably comprises a locking mechanism and is spring-loaded, although this is not shown in the drawing here. The opening mechanism 30 is actuated by means of an actuating device 40 which is provided on the front side 21 of the door 20. Such an actuating device 40 can be a simple push button, for example. However, it is preferred to design the actuating device 40 as a proximity sensor or touch sensor, which can also serve as an electrical switch for opening the door. For this purpose, a schematically illustrated motor 60 is arranged near the opening mechanism 30, which is assigned to the opening mechanism 30 and serves for its automatic actuation.

In the upper area of the lateral side cheek 22 shown here on the left and the lateral side cheek 23 shown here on the right, as well as in the upper side cheek 24, a recessed grip 26 is provided as a cutout in the corresponding side cheeks 22 to 24. This recessed grip 26 thus forms a handle device into which a user can reach when he can access the upper side cheek 24 either from above or from the side of the side cheeks 22, 23. Such access is always possible when the door 20 is in its second, slightly open position. In this second position, the upper side cheek 24 is no longer covered by a worktop (not shown in the drawing here), which covers the upper side cheek 24 in the first, closed position of the door 20. If the household appliance 10 according to the invention is a built-in appliance or is arranged as a solo appliance in a device front, the two side walls 22, 23 are not accessible in the first position of the door 20, but are in the second position. A user can therefore easily reach into the recessed grip 26 extending over the three side walls 22 to 24 and open the door 20 further.

In this first embodiment, a display and operating unit 50 is embedded in the handle recess 26. This arrangement means that the display and operating unit 50 is not accessible in the first position of the door 20 and is therefore well protected from external influences. The display and operating unit 50 can only be viewed and used in the second position or in a further open position of the door 20. In this embodiment, the surface of this display and operating unit 50 is flush with the base of the handle recess 26.

In this first embodiment, the handle device 26 is thus arranged in the upper side wall 24 facing away from the hinge 14.

2 shows a front wall 20 of a second embodiment of the household appliance 10 according to the invention. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the description of the same features is omitted in this embodiment and other embodiments; only the respective differences from the first embodiment or previous embodiments are described. In the second embodiment, a recessed grip 27 is provided in the middle of the upper side wall 24 of the front wall 20. To the right of the recessed grip 27, a display and operating unit 50 is embedded in the upper side wall 24 and is flush with this side wall 24. Thus, the surface of this display and operating unit 50 is not flush with the base of the recessed grip 26 shown there, as in the first embodiment, but here the top is flush with the upper side wall 24.

According to the 3 In the third embodiment of the front wall 20 of the household appliance 10 according to the invention shown, the display and operating unit 50 is provided centrally in the upper side wall 24 of the front wall 20. On both sides of the display and operating unit 50, respective recessed grips 28 are provided as recesses in the upper side wall 24 of the front wall 20.

4 shows a front wall 20 of a fourth embodiment of the household appliance 10 according to the invention, in which a recessed grip 29 is set into the left lateral side wall 22 near the upper side wall 24. Of course, a corresponding recessed grip 29 can also be provided on the other right side wall 23 of the front wall 20 (not shown here). The display and operating unit 50 is located in the middle of the upper side wall 24.

5 shows a front wall 20 according to a fifth embodiment of the household appliance 10 according to the invention. An insert 58 is provided as a handle device in the upper side wall 24, which lines a corresponding recess (not shown here) in the upper side wall 24. In this embodiment, the insert 58 is designed such that it not only lines the recess, but also extends to the top of the upper side wall 24 and thus covers the edge of the recess. Of course, the insert 58 can also be designed as a pure lining. In this fifth embodiment, the display and operating unit 50 is not set into a recessed grip as in the aforementioned embodiments, but is located on the front side 21 of the front wall 20.

In the above description, it was assumed that the front wall 20 is designed as a pivoting door. However, it should be emphasized that the invention can also be used in household appliances in which the front wall is designed as the front side of a pull-out drawer. In addition, the invention can of course also be used in designs in which the door is not designed as shown in 1 by means of a hinge 14 to the underside 12 of the household appliance, but laterally forming a vertical pivot axis, as is usually the case with refrigerators and freezers.

By using the present invention, household appliances can be optimally matched to the existing furniture fronts, and perfect integration into the environment, such as a kitchen environment, is achieved, since there are no longer any visually disturbing handles protruding or recessed handles that do not visually match the other existing handle options. On the other hand, it is ensured that an optimal leverage effect can be provided for opening the household appliance from the second position by arranging the corresponding recessed handles in a suitable place - for example, far away from a corresponding hinge. In addition, the invention is not limited to the design of the handle devices as recessed handles, but protruding handles or handles recessed in recesses can also be used.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

10

Household appliance

11

Corpus

12

bottom

14

hinge

20

Front wall/door

21

Front

22-24

Sidewall

26-29

Handle device/grip recess

30

Opening mechanism

40

Actuating device

50

Display and control unit

60

engine

Claims (20)

Household appliance (10) in the form of an oven, a refrigerator, a freezer, a washing machine or a tumble dryer with an openable front wall (20) which can be brought from a closed, first position into an at least slightly open, second position by means of an opening mechanism (30), wherein the front side (21) of the front wall (20) is handleless, and at least one handle device (26, 27, 28, 29) is provided on at least one of the side walls (22, 23, 24) of the front wall (20), which is accessible in the second position and with which the front wall (20) can be opened further. Household appliance (10) by Claim 1 , characterized in that an actuating device (40) for the opening mechanism (30) is arranged on the front side (21) of the front wall (20). Household appliance (10) by Claim 2 , characterized in that the actuating device (40) is a proximity or touch sensor or switch. Household appliance (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that the handle device (26, 27, 28, 29) is designed as a recessed grip embedded in the side wall (22, 23, 24). Household appliance (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that the handle device (26, 27, 28, 29) is formed by an insert (58) inserted into the side wall (22, 23, 24). Household appliance (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the handle device (29) is arranged in the upper region of a lateral side cheek (22, 23). Household appliance (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the handle device (27) is arranged in the middle of a side cheek (24). Household appliance (10) by Claim 7 , characterized in that the side cheek (24) is an upper side cheek (24). Household appliance (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the handle device (26) extends over two adjacent side walls (22, 23, 24). Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a display and operating unit (50) for the household appliance (10) is arranged on a side wall (22, 23, 24). Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front wall (20) is designed as a door which is articulated by means of a hinge (14). Household appliance (10) by Claim 11 , characterized in that the handle device (26, 27, 28) is arranged on the side wall (24) facing away from the hinge (14). Household appliance (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 10 , characterized in that the front wall (20) is designed as a front wall of a pull-out drawer. Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening mechanism (30) can be actuated by touching or pressing on the front side (21) or without contact. Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening mechanism (30) is designed as a push-push mechanism. Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening mechanism (30) is acted upon by a spring force and/or comprises a locking mechanism by means of which the body (11) of the household appliance (10) and the inside of the front wall (20) can be detachably connected. Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening mechanism (30) comprises a motor (60) for its actuation. Household appliance (10) by Claim 17 , characterized in that the actuation of the motor (60) takes place automatically. Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle device (26, 27, 28, 29) is not accessible in the first position of the front wall (20). Household appliance (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a built-in appliance or as a free-standing appliance.

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