EP2496900A1

EP2496900A1 - Refrigerator appliance, particularly a refrigerator or a freezer

Info

Publication number: EP2496900A1
Application number: EP10776980A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico Bincoletto
Original assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Current assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Priority date: 2009-11-03
Filing date: 2010-11-03
Publication date: 2012-09-12
Also published as: ITPN20090064A1; WO2011054863A1

Abstract

Refrigerating appliance (1) including a unit (2), a door (3) and a double door (4) which may be coupled to the unit (2), and a bellows gasket (6), in association with the door (3) and double door (4), suitable to perform a closing seal between the door (3) and the unit (2), the double door (4) including, at one end, a first and a second part (7, 8) substantially perpendicular between them and joined by a connection portion (20), the first part (7) being a terminal part of the double door (4). The bellows gasket (6) includes a base wall (9) and a connection portion (10), the connection portion (10) includes an elastically deformable appendix (11), defining, with a portion (9a) of the base wall (9), a seat (12) within which is inserted said first part (7) of the double door (4). The bellows gasket (6) includes a side wall (13a, 21) set behind the second part (8) of the double door (4), and the appendix (6) extends up to overlap at least partially the connection portion (20), so as to improve the stability of the connection between the bellows gasket (6) and the double door (4).

Description

REFRIGERATOR APPLIANCE, PARTICULARLY A REFRIGERATOR OR A

FREEZER DESCRIPTION

This invention refers to a refrigerator appliance, particularly a refrigerator, a freezer, a combined refrigerator, a display refrigerator, or similar. Nowadays refrigerators, freezers, combined refrigerators, et cetera, include a cabinet, typically a box- shaped hollow body, substantially parallelepiped, the walls of which present a desired thermal isolation; the inside of the cabinet is refrigerated through a special refrigerating circuit, and can be divided in more spaces, communicating or not between them, suitable for instance for the containment of alimentary products.

Such refrigerators of known type also include a door and a counter-door (coupled between them typically through injection in the interspace between them of a thermally insulating foam, such as for instance expanded polyurethane), suitable to allow the access inside the cabinet and a bellows gasket , associated with the door and the counter-door, suitable to realize a closing seal between the door and the cabinet when the door is in the closing position, so as to minimize, under such condition, the thermal exchange between the external environment and the inside of the cabinet.

Such a known type of gasket is fixed to the door and the counter-door in such position to result, on the closing condition of the door, in reciprocity with the cabinet in correspondence with its opening access edge; the gasket typically includes a soft portion of bellows seal, usable in compression with the cabinet in the closing position of the door and an insert in magnetic material suitable to be used with the edge of the cabinet (that is realized in magnetic or ferromagnetic material, or that includes an insert in such a material), so as to keep the door in the closed condition.

A sealing set for refrigerator cabinets and similar with profile in known plastic type material and illustrated for instance in the application of Italian patent no. MI 2001 A. 000472, in the name of INDUSTRIE ILPEA S.p.A., in which the sealing set is constituted by a cabinet, a door and a counter-door, and by a portion of bellows gasket (for instance realized in soft plasticized PVC) for the seal between the door and the furniture cabinet; a profile in rigid plastic material, for instance PVC, and the portion of gasket are coupled together or they are executed in a single piece obtained for instance by coextrusion. The profile presents at least one elastically yielding side wing that acts to couple to the profile and counter-door release. The wing terminates with a grooved seat, having a section essentially in C and suitable to accommodate an edge of the counter-door. The profile presents a base provided with, at the opposite end, sealing strips. The grooved seat has a section substantially in C provided with at least one sealing strip in soft material, so when the counter-door is coupled with the profile, under the action of the elastic return of the wing, the sealing strip is compressed against the edge of the counter-door. In a folding zone at right angles to the counter- door, it presents a folding radius between 3 and 6 mm, so as to ensure an optimal contrast with one of the strips of the base of the profile.

The profile and the integral portion of gasket is therefore coupled to the release at the edge of the counter-door, where the profile and the counter-door are supported on the door and the all is blocked through foaming of the air space between the door and counter-door. Such a known type of assembly nevertheless presents drawbacks; in fact it requires the use of a profile in rigid plastic material in association with a gasket portion in soft plastic material, it includes the assembly or the coextrusion of such components, and therefore presents a certain complexity and/or high cost.

Besides, before the foaming, the coupling between the profile in rigid plastic material and the edge of the counter-door can be rather unstable, and there is therefore the risk that the two components separate, particularly during their movement to associate it with the door. In the practical use of such solution it has been found specifically that such drawback often forces fixing the profile with some adhesive strip to the counter-door before the foaming, this increases the complexity and the assembly time, and therefore negatively impacts the production cost of the assembly seal.

An example of known gasket type for refrigerator units is described in the Italian patent application no. MI 2005 A. 000455, in the name of INDUSTRIE ILPEA S.p.A., which illustrates a gasket for refrigerator units of the kind including a soft portion with bellows to realize a closing seal between the cabinet and door, that extends from a base portion suited to connect to the external door and/or counter-door of the refrigerator unit. The base portion is substantially rigid and, from the end of it face to face with the counter-door, a means extends in substantially soft material (with good flexibility characteristics and elastic return at the temperatures which the refrigerator and freezer equipment operate) suitable to create an additional closing seal, preferably by compression, of the individualized separation space between the cabinet and the counter-door in a more internal zone of the refrigerator unit. The means of closing seal is independent and free from connections in comparison to the soft bellows portion. Particularly, in the execution variation illustrated in fig. 9 of such Italian application patent a gasket is represented realized by extrusion in a unique soft material, suitably increasing the thickness in the base portion so that the latter acquires a greater rigidity.

Such solution is nevertheless rather complex, and in addition the attachment of the gasket to the counter-door, particularly before the final assembly with the door, is not very stable.

The task of this invention is therefore to obtain a refrigerator appliance, particularly a refrigerator, a freezer, or similar, whose assembly is simple and rapid, so as to keep down the production costs.

The Filer has found that by realizing a refrigerator appliance comprising a door in association with a counter-door and a bellows gasket where a seat is defined for a first part of an end of the counter-door, the gasket including a clasp portion provided with an appendage that is extended, when the first part of the counter-door is inserted in the seat, so as to overlap at least partially the connection portion between the first part and a contiguous second part substantially perpendicular to the first, the gasket also including a sidewall placed behind the second part of the counter-door, an improvement is obtained in the stability of the attachment between the bellows gasket and the counter-door, so as to improve the stability of the coupling between the bellows gasket and the counter-door, thus avoiding that such components accidentally separate, particularly during their assembly on the door.

Specifically, the task and the previously quoted purposes, and others that will be clearer hereunder, are attained by a refrigerating appliance including a cabinet, a door and a counter-door which may be coupled to the cabinet and a bellows gasket, in association with the door and the counter-door, suitable to execute a closing seal between the door and the cabinet, the counter-door including, at one end, a first and a second part substantially perpendicular to each other and joined by a link portion, the first part being a terminal part of the counter-door. The bellows gasket includes a base wall and a clasp portion, the clasp portion protruding from the base wall and including an elastically deformable appendage which, with a portion of the base wall, defines a seat into which the first part of the counter-door is inserted. The bellows gasket includes a sidewall placed behind the second part of the counter-door, and the appendage extends to overlap at least partially the connection portion, so as to improve the stability of the connection between the bellows gasket and the counter-door.

Advantageously the appendage extends over the connection portion, up to the overlap, partially or totally, to the second part of the counter-door.

Appropriately the appendage is at least partially counter- shaped to the connection portion.

Advantageously the clasp portion is elastically deformable, so as to be able to be removed elastically in comparison to the base wall of the bellows gasket.

Preferably the sidewall of the said bellows gasket is substantially perpendicular to the base wall.

Advantageously the appendage includes a gripping element to facilitate its gripping.

In a preferred mode of embodiment the gripping element includes the free end of the appendage, which is inclined in the part opposite the bellows gasket, so as to facilitate its gripping.

Preferably the connection portion between the first and the second part presents an arched shaping, and the appendage presents an arched shape that substantially follows the arched conformation of the connection portion. Appropriately the bellows gasket includes a load bearing region, that extends from the part of the base opposite the connection portion, and one or more insulating chambers of the bellows, the sidewall including a sidewall of the load bearing region and a sidewall adjoining one of the insulating chambers of the bellows.

In a preferred mode of embodiment the bellows gasket includes one or more fins or ribs, protruding from the base wall of the part opposite the load bearing region, suitable to be used with the door to avoid the spillage of the foam during the foaming process.

Advantageously the sidewall of the bellows gasket is at least partially counter- shaped to the second part of the counter-door, so as to improve the contact with said second part.

An additional aspect of the finding concerns a bellows gasket for a refrigerating appliance including:

- a base wall;

- a connection portion, elastically deformable, projecting from the base wall and defining, with the base wall, a seat suitable to house a wall of the appliance;

- a sidewall that extends from the base wall, substantially perpendicularly to the same, from the part opposite the connection portion.

The connection portion partially includes an appendage that extends up to being at least partially face to face with a connection region between the base wall and the sidewall.

Additional characteristics and advantages of this invention will mostly result from the following description, furnished by way of example and not restrictive with reference to the attached drawing in which: Figure 1 schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, a refrigerator appliance, particularly a refrigerator, according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in cross section of a detail of the door and the refrigerator unit of Figure 1, with the door in closed condition;

Figure 3 is a view in cross section of a detail of door, counter-door and bellows gasket of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view in cross section of the bellows gasket of the refrigerator of Figure 1.

With reference to the attach Figures, a refrigerator appliance is indicated with the number 1, according to the invention; in the example illustrated in the attached figures the appliance refrigerator is a refrigerator, but it could alternatively be a freezer, a combined refrigerator, a refrigerator or display freezer, etc.

The refrigerator appliance 1 includes a cabinet 2 that is, advantageously but not necessarily, substantially parallelepiped and hollow, and whose walls present a desired thermal isolation; the inside of the cabinet 2 is refrigerated through a special refrigerating circuit, not illustrated, and can be appropriately divided into more spaces

2a, communicating or not between them, suitable for instance for the containment of alimentary products.

The refrigerator appliance 1 according to the invention also includes a door 3 and a counter-door 4, suitable to allow access inside the cabinet 2, which may be coupled to the same preferably in revolving fashion, through special hinges 5.

In the example illustrated in the attach figures, the cabinet 2 is open frontally, but the invention may also be applied in substantially identical fashion to a piece opening from above. Besides in the example illustrated in the attach figures, the cabinet 2 is closable again through a single door 3, but there could also be more than one door, each suited to close again a specific region or a space of some cabinet 2.

The refrigerator appliance 1 includes besides one or more bellows gaskets 6, in association with the door 3 to the counter-door 4, suited to perform a closing seal between the door 3 and the piece 2.

Advantageously the bellows gasket 6 is realized through extrusion of a soft plastic and elastically deformable material, such as for instance soft plasticized PVC.

Appropriately, as will be explained better below, different zones of the bellows gasket 6, despite being realized in a same material, present different thickness, so that such zones present different rigidities according to the function to which they are assigned (for instance mechanical support, thermal insulation, housing of a magnet, etc.).

The counter-door 4 includes, at one end, a first part 7, suited to be used with the bellows gasket 6 and a second part 8 connected to the first part 7 and substantially perpendicular to the same.

The first part 7 and the second part 8 are connected between them by a connection portion 20, preferably arched.

In an additional embodiment, not represented, the first and the second part can be connected between them through a connection portion of polygonal shape, or like a sharp corner.

The bellows gasket 6 includes a base wall 9, preferably substantially flat or, as in the example illustrated in the attached Figures, including a plurality of flat portions, arranged almost parallel and staggered to each other.

Particularly, in the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, in the part turned toward the counter-door 4, the base wall 9 presents a raised portion 9a. From the base wall 9 of the bellows gasket 6 a connection portion 10 projects included an elastically deformable appendage 11, that defines, together with the base wall 9 (particularly together with the portion 9a of the same), a seat 12 into which the first part 7 of the counter-door is insertable by slotting 4.

Appropriately the connection portion 10 substantially presents a hollow triangular cross section, so as to allow it to be deformed elastically, however maintaining a certain rigidity. The cross section of the connection portion 10 can however be different, for instance rectangular, trapezoidal, etc.

The connection portion 10 and the appendage 11 can then be moved away elastically from the portion 9a of the base wall 9 of the bellows gasket 6.

Appropriately the dimension of the seat 12 is slightly less than the thickness of the first part 7 of the counter-door 4, so that this latter can only be inserted into the seat 12 after having elastically moved away the connection portion 10 from the base wall 9, for instance through simple traction on the connection portion 10 and/or on the appendage 11; once the first part 7 is inserted in the seat 12, by interrupting the traction on the connection portion 10 it happens that the latter (and therefore also the appendage 11) tends to move close again elastically to the portion 9a of the base wall 9, so closing elastically with gripping the first part 7 in the seat 12.

Advantageously the appendage 11 extends to at least partially overlap the connection portion 20 between the first part 7 and the second part 8 of the counter-door 4.

Particularly, in the example illustrated in the attach figures, the appendage 11 is counter- shaped partially to the connection portion 20, and therefore presents an arched shape that substantially follows the arched conformation of the connection portion 20. In a further embodiment, not shown, the appendage 11 extends up to and beyond the connection portion 20, so as to overlap, partially or fully, the second part 8 of the counter-door 4.

Preferably the free end 11a of the appendage 11 is inclined from the part opposite the bellows gasket 6, so as to facilitate its gripping and therefore to facilitate its bending and the insertion of the first part 7 into the seat 12; the free end 11a therefore constitutes a gripping element for the appendage 11. In a further embodiment, not represented, the appendage 11 can include a different gripping element, such as for instance, a ring, a peg, a protuberance, or similar, protruding from the same to facilitate its gripping and bending.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the bellows gasket 6 includes a load bearing region 13, that starts from the base wall 9 and develops from the part opposite to the connection portion 10.

Advantageously, the load bearing region 13 presents an increased thickness in comparison to the rest of the bellows gasket 6, in such way as to obtain a greater rigidity despite the bellows gasket 6 overall being realized through extrusion of a single material.

In the example illustrated in the attach figures, the load bearing region 13 substantially presents a rectangular or trapezoidal section, and presents two or more sidewalls 13a, 13b, an upper wall 13c and one or more transverse spacers 14 (only one in the illustrated example in the attach figures), suited to increase its rigidity.

The bellows gasket 6 further includes some walls defining one or more bellows insulators chambers capable of deforming elastically when the door 3 is in the closing condition, illustrated for instance in Figure 2, to maintain the seal between the door 3 and the cabinet 2 and to guarantee the thermal insulation between the external environment and the one or more spaces 2a defined inside the cabinet 2.

In the example illustrated in the attach figures the bellows gasket 6 includes two sidewalls 21, 22 and an intermediary wall 23, defining a first bellows insulator chamber 15 and a second bellows insulator chamber 16, laterally face to face between them and where the second advantageously is partially overlapped on the first, so that this latter is partially interposed between the second bellows insulator chamber 16 and the load bearing region 13.

Appropriately the sidewalls 21 and 22 are respectively an extension of the walls 13a and 13b and the thickness of the sidewalls 21 and 22 and the intermediary wall 23 advantageously is less in comparison to the thickness of the walls of the load bearing region 13, so that one or more bellows insulator chambers can be easily elastically deformed.

The pairs of walls 13a, 21 and 13b, 22 therefore form sidewalls of varying thickness of the gasket 6.

Advantageously the bellows gasket 6 are shaped in such way that at least one of the one or more bellows insulators chambers (particularly the second bellows insulator 16 chamber in the example illustrated in the attach figures), once the bellows gasket 6 is in association with the counter-door 4, it protrudes externally in comparison to this latter, so as to catch with the edge of the cabinet 2 when the door 3 is in the closing condition, illustrated for instance in figure 2.

Advantageously the bellows gasket 6 includes an additional wall 24 defining a seat 17 into which a magnetic bar is inserted 18, so as to latch magnetically with the edge of the piece 2, appropriately realized in magnetic or ferromagnetic material or including at least one insert of magnetic or ferromagnetic material, so as to maintain the door 3 firmly in the closed condition.

Advantageously the sidewall 13a, 21 of the bellows gasket 6 is arranged around perpendicularly with respect to the base wall 9 of the bellows gasket 6, and is set close to the second part 8 of the counter-door 4.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the sidewall 13a, 21 is at least partially counter- shaped to the second part 8 of the counter-door 4, so as to improve the contact with such second part 8.

As is evident particularly from figure 3, the particular arrangement of the appendage 11 and the sidewall 13a, 21 of the bellows gasket 6 involves that when the first portion 7 of the counter-door 4 is inserted into the seat 12, the connection portion 20 between the first and the second part (and possibly also part of the second part 8 itself) is tightened between the appendage 11 and the sidewall 13a, 21 of the bellows gasket 6, thus improving the attachment between the bellows gasket 6 and the counter- door 4.

Once the bellows gasket 6 is associated with the counter-door 4 by inserting the first part 7 into the seat 12, it happens that the bellows gasket 6 and the counter-door 4 can be positioned on the door 3, and be constrained in a specific mutual position through a special mold and the everything is firmly locked by injecting an insulating foam, for instance expanded polyurethane, in the hollow space 30 defined between the door 3 and the counter-door 4.

Due to the particular layout of the appendage 11 and the sidewall 13a, 21 of the bellows gasket 6, the risk that the bellows gasket 6 separates from the counter-door 4 during their movement and before the foaming is therefore greatly reduced. The bellows gasket 6 includes besides one or more fins or ribs 25, protruding from the base wall 9 of the bellows gasket 6 from the part opposite the load bearing region 13, suited to catch with the door 3 to avoid the leakage of the foam during the foaming process.

It is thus ascertained that the invention has met the task and the pre-established purposes, a refrigerating appliance being contrived, particularly a refrigerator, a freezer, or similar, that due to the particular conformation of the counter-door and the bellows gasket allows reducing the assembly times of door, counter-door and bellows gasket in comparison to the known technique, thereby reducing accordingly the production costs.

The invention lends itself to numerous changes and variations, all entering into the same inventive concept. For instance the bellows gasket can also be realized through assembly or co-extrusion of different materials, always however maintaining the particular shaping of the foot suitable for the coupling with the particular counter-door according to the invention.

Claims

1. Refrigerating household appliance (1) comprising a cabinet (2), a door (3) and a counter-door (4) which can be coupled to the cabinet (2), and a bellows-type gasket (6), associated to said door (3) and counter-door (3), adapted to provide a sealed closing between said door (3) and said cabinet (2), said counter-door (4) comprising, at one end, a first and a second section (7, 8) substantially perpendicular one another and connected by a connecting portion (20), said first section (7) being an end section of said counter-door (4), said bellows-type gasket (6) comprising a bottom wall (9) and a clasp portion (10), said clasp portion (10) protruding from said bottom wall (9) and comprising an appendage (11), elastically deformable, which defines, together with a portion (9a) of said bottom wall (9), a seat (12) in which said first portion (7) of said counter-door (4) is inserted,

charachterized in that said bellows-type gasket (6) comprises a lateral wall (13a, 21) placed close to said second section (8) of said counter-door (4), and in that said appendage (6) extends so as to at least partially overlap said connecting portion (20), improving the stability of the fastening between said bellows-type gasket (6) and said counter-door (4).

2. Household appliance, according to claim 1, wherein said appendage (11) extends beyond said connecting portion (20), up to overlap, partially or totally, said second section (8) of said counter-door (4).

3. Household appliance, according to claim 1 o 2, wherein said appendage (11) is at least partially counter- shaped to said connecting portion (20).

4. Household appliance, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said clasp portion (10) is elastically deformable, so that it may be elastically moved away from said portion (9a) of said bottom wall (9) of said bellows-type gasket (6).

5. Household appliance, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said lateral wall (13a, 21) of said bellows-type gasket (6) is substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall (9).

6. Household appliance, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said appendage comprises a grab element adapted to facilitate its grabbing.

7. Household appliance, according to claim 6, wherein said grab element comprises the free end (11a) of said appendage (11), which is inclined in a direction opposite to said bellows-type gasket (6), so as to facilitate its grabbing.

8. Household appliance, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said connecting portion (20) has a bent conformation, said appendage (11) having a bent conformation which substantially follows the shape of said connecting portion (20).

9. Household appliance, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said bellows-type gasket (6) comprises a bearing region (13), which extends form said bottom wall (9) in a direction opposite to said clasp portion (10), and one or more bellows-type insulating chambers (15, 16), said lateral wall (13a, 21) comprising a lateral wall (13a) of said bearing region (13) and an adjacent lateral wall (21) of one of said bellows-type insulating chambers.

10. Household appliance, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said bellows-type gasket (6) comprises one or more fins or ribs (25), protruding from said bottom wall (9) in a direction opposite to said bearing region (13), adapted to engage said door (3) for avoiding the leaking of the foam during the foaming process.

11. Household appliance, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said lateral wall (13a, 21) is at least partially counter-shaped to said second section (8) of said counter-door (4), so as to improve the contact with said second section (8).

12. Bellows-type gasket (6) for a refrigerating household appliance comprising: - a bottom wall (9);

- a clasp portion (10), elastically deformable, protruding from said bottom wall (9) and defining, together with said bottom wall (9), a seat (12) adapted to lodge a wall of said household appliance;

- a lateral wall (13a, 21) which extends from said bottom wall (9), substantially perpendicularly to the latter, in a direction opposite to said clasp portion (10);

characterized in that said clasp portion (10) comprises and appendage (11) which extends so as to at least partially face a connnecting region of said bottom wall (9) and said lateral wall (13a, 21).