EP2378945B1 - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a dishwasher according to the preamble of claim 1 (see, eg EP-A-1 358 837 .)

In dishwashers, the control panel can be provided with its controls and indicators in the door. The control panel designed as a plastic part can extend over the entire door width at the upper edge of the appliance door.

Such a generic household appliance door has a, a useful space facing inner door element to which the control panel is attached. The control panel is in contact with the door inner panel with an angled bezel.

In particular, when the household appliance door is open, lying approximately in the horizontal plane, the liquid dripping from the extracted dish racks can penetrate into the interior of the door via gaps between the control panel and the inner door. To protect against penetrating liquid, the control panel associated electronics components can be encapsulated in elaborate cases or the penetrating liquid by additional parts, such as shielding or the like, are redirected. This is z. B. due to existing contacts of the wiring harness and the required housing openings in the electronics housing as very expensive.

The object of the invention is to provide a dishwasher in which the control panel associated device components are protected in a simple manner from penetrating liquid.

The object is solved by the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

The invention is based on a dishwasher, in particular domestic dishwasher, at least having a household appliance door, at least a control panel and a door inner member, between which at least partially least a seal formed from a seal and a sealing bed is arranged.

According to the invention, the sealing element and the sealing bed form a one-piece structural unit, in particular a two-component extrusion part. This simplifies assembly, since only one component has to be mounted, wherein the two-component extruded part is easy to produce by the meter and has a favorable inherent rigidity for the assembly.

In a further development, it is provided that the control panel is produced by plastic injection molding, and in particular a Entformungsrichtung (E) perpendicular to a control panel front wall runs. The geometry of the control panel is to be designed so that a demolding movement of the injection molding tools without obstructions or without providing additional slides is possible.

When producing the control panel as a plastic injection molded part, the partition can be formed on the sheet metal roof of the control panel. Between the partition and the sheet metal roof, an opening can be provided, through which the sealing element can be performed with its end in the liquid drain chamber.

As mentioned above, the control panel can be produced in the plastic injection molding process, in which an injection molding chamber for shaping the control panel is limited by injection molding tools.

For a simple sealing structure according to the invention, the sealing bed and the sealing element can be used as a separate component in the control panel. In this way, there is greater flexibility in the geometric design of the control panel without undercuts due to the sealing bed should be considered.

The sealing bed can preferably be supported on at least one support element of the control panel which is undercut in the demolding direction. Preferably, the sealing bed can be supported on spaced support ribs, which in the Entformungsrichtung are sprayed on the control panel. Due to the rigidity of the sealing bed, relatively large distances between the support ribs can be selected.

For stable support of the sealing bed, the support element may have openings with which the sealing bed can be prepositioned at approximately right angles to Entformungsrichtungsrichtung fixed to the control panel. After pre-positioning the door inner panel can be screwed to the control panel, whereby the sealing element can be brought into sealing contact with the inner door element.

In a development, each side edge of the control panel is assigned a liquid drainage chamber, through which the liquid penetrating on the side flanks of the control panel can be discharged. The control panel according to the invention therefore has laterally designed drainage areas, by means of which the liquid penetrating on the side flanks can be kept away from live components of the control panel even without additional sealing means. Thus, the side edges of the control panel can be brought without seal in contact with the inner door element, whereby the sealing effort is reduced in the area between the control panel and the inner door element.

In dishwashers, the appliance door is usually hinged to the bottom-side machine base about a horizontal pivot axis. When loading items to be washed or when removing items to be washed the baskets are usually carried by the arranged in a horizontal plane door. From the crockery baskets or the items to be washed dripping liquid can therefore, as described above, penetrate into the door interior. In order to ensure a water drainage from the liquid drainage chamber of the control panel, the liquid drainage chamber can be designed to be open in terms of flow in the direction of the door pivot axis.

When closing the door, therefore, the fluid collected in the liquid drainage chamber can flow out of the control panel in the direction of the pivot axis.

The device components provided at the rear of the control panel can be spaced apart from the control panel side flank with the interposition of the liquid drain chamber for protection against the ingress of liquid, as a result of which the control panel is executed in the field of device component fluid-tight. The liquid drainage chamber can be separated from the device components of the control panel in a fluid-tight manner via a partition wall.

Usually, the control panel at the top, the Türanlenkseite opposite door edge can extend over the entire width of the door. The control panel can be made approximately hood-shaped as a plastic component having a front side facing the user, are worn in the control and display elements. At the upper edge of the control panel front wall, a side edge can be formed as a rearwardly angled sheet metal roof, while at the side edges of the front wall also angled back side edges can be formed. Each of the side flanks of the control panel may each be assigned to one of the above-mentioned dividing walls, so that the side flank together with the dividing wall results in a rigid double-wall structure of interposed fluid drainage chamber. To increase the torsional rigidity of the control panel, the side flank and the partition wall can be connected to one another via transverse walls, which run at a distance from the rear side of the control panel front wall.

In a preferred sealing arrangement, a strip-shaped sealing element can extend along the screen roof of the control panel in the transverse direction of the door, which seals fluid-tightly between the panel roof and the door inner element.

With the above-mentioned, strip-shaped sealing element, the control panel is sealed over the entire width of the door, while the corner area at the transition between the side edges and the glare roof are limited by the liquid drainage chamber. In this way, mounting technology can advantageously prevent the sealing element from having to be guided around the corner area by the glazing roof and the side flanks. Rather, only the above-mentioned sealing element in the transverse direction is to be inserted into the control panel.

Preferably, the transverse sealing element can protrude with its sealing ends in each case in the lateral liquid drain chambers. In this way, the liquid present on the sealing element can laterally drip off laterally into the liquid drainage chambers. The strip-shaped sealing element can with its respective sealing ends be spaced over a free distance from the corner region between the diaphragm side edge and the diaphragm roof.

The above-mentioned partition wall for separating the liquid drainage chamber from the device components of the control panel can preferably proceed without gaps into the glare roof. When producing the control panel as a plastic injection molded part, the partition can be formed on the sheet metal roof of the control panel. Between the partition and the sheet metal roof, an opening can be provided, through which the sealing element can be performed with its end in the liquid drain chamber.

As mentioned above, the control panel can be produced in the plastic injection molding process, in which an injection molding chamber for shaping the control panel is limited by injection molding tools. The geometry of the control panel is to be designed so that a demolding movement of the injection molding tools without obstructions or without providing additional slides is possible. Against this background, a sealing bed for the sealing element in the connection region of the control panel on the inner door element can be formed only with great effort.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying figures is shown.

Fig. 1

in einer teilweisen Perspektivdarstellung eine Gerätetür einer Geschirrspülmaschine;

Fig. 2

in einer Ansicht entsprechend der Fig. 1 die Gerätetür mit weggelassenem Türinnenelement;

Fig. 3

in einer rückseitigen Ansicht eine Bedienblende in Alleinstellung;

Fig. 4

in einer vergrößerten Schnittdarstellung eine Abdichtung zwischen dem Türinnenelement und der Bedienblende; und

Fig. 5

in einer Ansicht entsprechend der Fig. 4 die Bedienblende bei weggelassenem Türinnenelement.

Show it:

Fig. 1

in a partial perspective view of a door of a dishwasher;

Fig. 2

in a view corresponding to Fig. 1 the appliance door with the door inner element omitted;

Fig. 3

in a rear view, a control panel in isolation;

Fig. 4

in an enlarged sectional view, a seal between the door inner panel and the control panel; and

Fig. 5

in a view corresponding to Fig. 4 the control panel with the door inner element omitted.

In the Fig. 1 is shown a door of a dishwasher, not shown. The appliance door is articulated in the usual way on the bottom-side machine base of the dishwasher in the horizontal direction. On the Türanlenkseite opposite door side, a control panel 1 is provided, which extends as a plastic part over the entire width of the door. The control panel 1 is together with the inner door 3 at a in the Fig. 1 only roughly indicated door frame 5 attached. The door frame 5 has according to the Fig. 1 and 2 facing side U-shaped frame strips on.

The inner door 3 is facing the washing compartment of the dishwasher with the appliance door closed and made as a deep-drawn sheet metal part. Accordingly, the inner door 3 has a frame-like encircling Türholmabschnitt 7, which protrudes into the washing compartment with the door closed. On the outside, the Türholmabschnitt 7 goes into a circumferential mounting flange 9, which is bolted to the door frame strips. In the upper part of the door of the mounting flange 9 of the inner door 3 is screwed to the control panel 1. At the, the inner door 3 opposite outside of the door frame 5 carries in a known manner an outer panel or a furniture panel eleventh

In the Fig. 2 the appliance door is shown with the inner door 3 removed, so that the backside geometry of the control panel 1 is visible. Accordingly, the control panel 1, a front wall facing the user 13, on the back of a dashed line indicated control module 15 is held about by means of snap-in connections.

At the side edges opposite in the device side direction x and at the upper edge of the front wall 13, a flange-like angled cover 17, 19 is integrally formed. The lateral diaphragm shroud sections 17 form side flanks of the control panel 1, while the upper diaphragm shroud 19 forms a glare roof. The diaphragm shroud 17, 19 is brought into contact with the mounting flange 9 of the inner door 3 when the appliance door is assembled. On the inside of the diaphragm jacket 17, 19 not shown screw domes are formed, with which the inner door 3 is screwed.

According to the Fig. 2 are in the device side direction x opposite side edges 17 aligned approximately flush with the outside of the door frame 5. The two side edges 17 are connected via corner regions 23 with the visor roof 19.

According to the Fig. 2 and 3 each of the side edges 17 of the control panel 3 is double-walled with a partition 21 spaced therefrom. Between the partition wall 21 and the side edge 17, a respective liquid drain chamber 25 is arranged, which is designed to be open in the direction of the door pivot axis. The partitions 21 are according to the Fig. 2 and 3 executed parallel to the associated side edges 17 and formed directly on the panel roof 19. In the area between the two partitions 21, the control module 15 is provided.

In the same way as the partitions 21 support ribs 27 are integrally formed on the screen roof 19 at a distance from one another. The support ribs 27 carry a strip-shaped sealing element 29. The sealing element 29 seals in the installed position according to the Fig. 4 a gap 31 between the mounting flange 9 of the inner door 3 and the glazed roof 19 from.

Like from the Fig. 4 Furthermore, the sealing element 29 has a cavity profile, which is integrally connected in a two-component extrusion technique with a strip-shaped sealing bed 33. The sealing bed 33 is designed as a hard component compared to the sealing component designed as a soft component.
As can be seen from the figures, step-shaped openings 35 are formed between the support ribs 27 and the diaphragm roof 19 and between the partition wall 21 and the diaphragm roof 19 into which the sealing bed 33 with a sealing element 29 arranged thereon is positively inserted.

When assembling the appliance door, the sealing bed 33 is used together with the molded sealing element 29 in a pre-assembly step in the openings 35 of the partition walls 21 and the support ribs 27. Subsequently, the inner door 3 is screwed onto the control panel 3 with the sealing element 29 prepositioned therein.

According to the Fig. 2 and 3 the sealing element 29 protrudes with its ends 37 into the two liquid drainage chambers 25. The sealing element 29 is with its sealing ends 37 spaced over a distance a from the respective Eckrundungen 23 of the control panel 3.

In the Fig. 4 the Entformungsrichtung E of the injection molding tools after the shaping of the control panel 3 is shown. The support ribs 27 are formed with the seal bed 33 removed without undercuts in the Entformungsrichtung E to the visor roof 19, so that the removal can be done without undercut and without additional slide.

When loading the dishwasher with items to be washed or when removing items to be washed, the appliance door is in its horizontal open position. The lower rack may be supported on the open door to facilitate the loading or removal of items to be washed. In this case, dripping liquid can pass through the non-sealed gap between the side edges 17 of the control panel 3 and the mounting flange 9 of the inner door 3 in the lateral fluid receiving chambers 25. In the area of the blending roof 19, on the other hand, the sealing element 29 is provided between the fastening flange 9 and the blending roof 19. The liquid collecting in the gap 31 can therefore be present on the sealing element 29 and drip off laterally at the ends 37 of the sealing element 29 into the liquid drainage chambers 25.

When closing the washing compartment, the door is swung back to its vertical closed position. As a result, the liquid collected in the liquid drainage chambers 25 can flow out of the control panel 3 in the direction of the door pivot axis.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

control panel

3

Door internal element

5

doorframe

7

Door pillar section

9

mounting flange

11

Siding

13

Control panels front wall

15

control module

17

Iris side flanks

19

Fascias roof

21

partitions

23

corner areas

25

Liquid drain chambers

27

support ribs

29

sealing element

31

gap

33

Density bed

35

breakthroughs

e

unmolding

a

distance

x

Door side direction

Claims (15)

1. Dishwasher, particularly domestic dishwasher, at least comprising a domestic appliance door which has at least one control panel (1) and a door inner element (3), between which a seal formed at least from a seal (29) and a seal bed (33) is arranged at least in a section, characterised in that the sealing element (29) and the sealing bed (33) form an integral constructional unit, particularly a two-component extrusion part.
2. Dishwasher according to claim 1, characterised in that the control panel (1) is produced in a plastics material injection-moulding method, and, in particular, a mould removal direction (E) extends perpendicularly to a control panel front wall (13).
3. Dishwasher according to claim 2, characterised in that the seal bed (33) is supported on at least one support element (27) free of undercuts in the mould removal direction (E), particularly on mutually spaced support ribs.
4. Dishwasher according to claim 3, characterised in that the support element (27) is constructed with a passage (35) by which the seal bed (33) is held in stationary position at right angles to the mould removal direction (E).
5. Dishwasher according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the control panel (1) has bent-over side flanks (17, 19) bearing against the door inner element (3), wherein associated with each of the side flanks (17, 19) is a liquid drain chamber (25) through which liquid penetrating at the side flanks (17, 19) of the control panel (1) can be drained away.
6. Dishwasher according to claim 5, characterised in that appliance components (15) provided at the rear side at the control panel (1) are, for protection from penetrating liquid, spaced by way of the liquid drain chambers (25) from the control panel side flanks (17, 19).
7. Dishwasher according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the liquid drain chambers (25) are separated from the appliance components (15) of the control panel (1) by way of a partition wall (21).
8. Dishwasher according to claim 5, 6 or 7, characterised in that the control panel (1) has at the user side a front wall (13) extending, in particular, over the entire door width, at the upper edge of which a sheet-metal roof (19) bent over rearwardly and at the side edges of which side flanks (17) bent over rearwardly are formed.
9. Dishwasher according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that each of the side walls (17) of the control panel (1) together with the partition wall (21) is formed to be double-walled with intermediately arranged liquid drain chamber (25).
10. Dishwasher according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that extending along a panel roof (19) of the control panel (1) in transverse direction of the door is the sealing element (29) for liquid-tight sealing between the panel roof (19) and the door inner element (3).
11. Dishwasher according to claim 10, characterised in that the transversely extending panel seal (29) protrudes by at least one seal end (37) into the liquid drain chamber (25).
12. Dishwasher according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the panel seal (29) is spaced by the respective strip end (37) thereof over a free spacing (a) from the corner region (23) between the panel side flank (17) and the panel roof (19).
13. Dishwasher according to at least one of claims 5 to 13, characterised in that the panel side flanks (17) of the control panel (1) are in contact, free of sealing means, with the door inner element (3).
14. Dishwasher according to at least one of claims 7 to 13, characterised in that the partition wall (21) goes over without a gap into the sheet-metal roof (19).
15. Dishwasher according to at least one of claims 7 to 14, characterised in that the partition wall (21) has a passage (35) through which the sealing element is led into the liquid drain chamber (25).

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