EP2497651A1

EP2497651A1 - External panel decoration parts for electrical home appliances

Info

Publication number: EP2497651A1
Application number: EP12158155A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Halil Turan; Rustem Asik
Original assignee: Vestel Beyaz Esya Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Current assignee: Vestel Beyaz Esya Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Priority date: 2011-03-11
Filing date: 2012-03-06
Publication date: 2012-09-12
Also published as: TR201102368A2

Abstract

Electrical home appliance of the invention comprises at least one external panel (1); at least one space (2) located on the panel (1); at least one decoration part (3) which is placed on said space (2), which comprises at least one part being transparent and/or completely opaque, and which is formed as patterned; at least one illumination element (6) which is provided behind the decoration part (3) and emits light. At least one part, which has different transparency and/or opaque features, is able to be located on the transparent section of the decoration part (3) or said part (3) has a complete or patterned partial cover therein.

Description

Technical Field

Present invention relates to decorative parts used on the external panels of the electrical home appliances.

Prior Art

There are wide free fields on the external panels of the electrical home appliances, such as cooking devices, washing and drying machines, coolers, etc. which are also called as white goods. These panels, which are generally made of sheet, are covered with different decorative surfaces and can be coloured. Different studies have been made in the state of art for the decorations made for addressing aesthetic taste of the users. For example a published patent application no US20100310887 discloses a decorative panel comprising coloured glass and film layer provided on a door of a white goods. A gravure printing layer and a reflective layer can be provided on said film layer. A published patent application no US20100295425 , which is another example, discloses an illuminated decorative panel placed on the front door of a refrigerator. By the light source placed behind a glass in said panel, transparent glass of the refrigerator is directly illuminated. Decorative pattern is shown by being illuminated with the light passing through the transparent areas therein.

Brief Description of the Invention

Electrical home appliance of the invention comprises at least one external panel; at least one cavity located on the panel; at least one decoration part which is placed on said space, which comprises at least one part being transparent and/or completely opaque, and which is formed as patterned; at least one illumination element which is provided behind the decoration part and emits light. At least one part, which has different transparency and/or opaque features, is able to be located on the transparent section of the decoration part or said part has a complete or patterned partial cover therein. With the invention, thanks to the light coming from at least one illumination element remaining behind the decoration part, light is passed through the part (benefiting from the transparent feature of the decoration part). Said light ensures aesthetic view of the part and its surroundings from the frontal side of the panel.

Objectives of the Invention

An aim of the invention is to form decoration parts in order to be used on the external panels of the electrical home appliances.
The other aim of the invention is to provide decoration parts which are easy to apply to electrical home appliances and cost-effective.

Description of the Drawings

An exemplary panel and exemplary decoration parts of an electrical home appliance, which are developed by the invention, are shown in attached drawings wherein;

Figure 1 is a general view of an external panel of an electrical home appliance.
Figure 2 is a general perspective view of the decoration part in a pre-assembled state.
Figure 3 is a general perspective view of the decoration part in an assembled state.
Figure 4 is a frontal view of the external panel and decoration parts of the electrical home appliance in an assembled state.
Figure 5 is a rear view of the external panel and decoration parts of the electrical home appliance in an assembled state.

The parts in the figures are individually enumerated and the corresponding terms of reference numbers are as follows:

External panel	(1)
Cavity	(2)
Decoration part	(3)
Lower section	(4)
Lower section recession	(4a)
Lower section projection	(4b)
Upper section	(5)
Upper section space	(5a)
Illumination element	(6)

Description of the Invention

Figure 1 shows an exemplary external panel (1), on which decoration parts are used. Said panel (1) is used in the external sections of different electrical home appliances (not shown in figures), and generally in the form of plate. As shown in figure 1, on the external panel (1) of the invention, at least one space (2) (shown in this figure as patterned) is formed. Aesthetic view is ensured on the external panel (1) (thus on the home appliance) by placing the decoration parts, details of which are given below, in these cavities (2).
Said decoration part comprises at least one part which is transparent (light transmittance can be in different levels) and/or completely opaque. Said part is cut in a patterned form and engaged to the space (2) on the external panel (1). Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary decoration part (3) in the pre-assembled state. In the example, the decoration part (3) is shown as two parted; lower and upper sections (4, 5). On the lower section (4) which is formed as patterned, recessions (4a) and projections (4b), specific to the pattern, are provided. On the upper section (5) which is also formed as patterned, various spaces (5a) are located and said lower section projections (4b) are fit in the spaces (5a) in the assembled state (figure 3) of the decoration part (3). Thus, the decoration part (3) is obtained from the engagement of the lower and upper sections (4, 5). Since at least one of the lower section (4) or the upper section (5) is transparent, different aesthetic views are able to be formed.
Figure 4 shows frontal view of the decoration parts (3) engaged to the external panel (1) of the electrical home appliance, while figure 5 shows the rear view. In the example of the figure 5, illumination elements (6) (LED, bulb, etc.) provided behind the decoration part (3) are shown. With the invention, thanks to the light coming from at least one illumination element remaining behind the decoration part (3), light is passed through the part (3) (benefiting from the transparent feature of the decoration part). This light ensures aesthetic view of the part (3) and its surroundings from the frontal side of the panel (1).
In different embodiments of the invention, different aesthetic views can be obtained by locating at least one part, which has different transparency and/or opaque features, on the transparent section of the decoration part (3) as well as by covering transparent section completely or patterned partially.

Claims

An electrical home appliance characterized by comprising at least one external panel (1), at least one space (2) located on the panel (1), at least one decoration part (3) placed on said space (2) and formed as patterned.
A device according to claim 1 characterized in that the decoration part (3) comprises at least one transparent and/or completely opaque part.
A device according to claim 2 characterized in that the decoration part (3) comprises two patterned parts which are inserted to each other as lower and upper sections (4, 5).
A device according to claim 3 characterized in that recessions (4a) and projections (4b), specific to the pattern, are provided on the lower section (4); spaces (5a), specific to the pattern, are provided on the upper section (5); and projections (4b) of the lower section are fit in said spaces (5a).
A device according to claim 1 characterized in that at least one part, which has different transparency and/or opaque features, is located on the transparent section of the decoration part (3).
A device according to claim 1 characterized in that a complete or patterned partial cover is provided on the transparent section of the decoration part (3).
A device according to claim 2 characterized by comprising at least one illumination element (6) which is provided behind the decoration part (3) and emits light.