EP3011240B1 - Door for a domestic appliance with a front shell and domestic appliance with such a door - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a door for a household appliance, with an outside. The invention also relates to a household appliance with such a door.

In household appliances, such as household refrigerators, which can be a refrigerator or a freezer or a combined fridge-freezer, a front door is provided, with which an interior space in which food, such as food and drinks are accommodated, can be closed. Such a door is usually hinged on a housing of the household appliance and can be pivoted relative thereto. Such a door usually has an outer side which, in the closed state, faces away from the interior space and in this context then also forms the front side of the device. This outside of the door, which is firmly connected to the door, is usually designed in the same color as the housing is designed. Since these outer sides are usually painted or made of a material that already reproduces the color, such as stainless steel, the variability of the visual design of the door is limited.

DE 10 2011 006962 A1 discloses a door of a refrigeration appliance which has an outer wall structure and an inner wall structure, a cavity delimited thereby being filled with insulation material.

EP 1 935 313 A1 discloses a built-in household appliance with a door which is equipped with a trim element.

CN 2 446 469 Y discloses a refrigeration device with a freely movable and transparent cover of a door of the refrigeration device.

CN 2 447 706 Y discloses a refrigeration device with a body and a door and a transparent cover of the door.

The documents DE102009003125 , EP2253908 and EP2299213 disclose refrigeration devices with doors that have cover shells.

The document DE202007001638U discloses a mobile refrigerator with a refrigerator door magnetically locked with respect to the body.

It is the object of the present invention to create a door for a household appliance and a corresponding household appliance, which or which can be made more flexible in terms of its visual design and can be designed to be more user-specific.

This object is achieved by a door and a household appliance according to the following claims. The present invention is disclosed in independent claim 1. Further embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

A door according to the invention for a household appliance comprises an outside. The outside is formed on a base body of the door and in this context represents a front side facing away from an interior of the household appliance when the door is closed. An essential idea of the invention is that the door has a cover shell that is detachably arranged on the door without being destroyed is, and the outside is at least partially covered by the cover shell. Such a configuration achieves the visual and also functional variability of the door. The more user-specific configuration is improved both in terms of the visual appearance and in terms of functional use. According to the invention, the cover shell is non-destructively releasably attached to the base body by means of magnets.

Such a cover shell provides a replaceable component which also offers a certain protection for the outside, so that scratching or the formation of dents is prevented. In this context, the cover shell can simply be removed and replaced. This means that the door, and especially the outside, remains as good as new in the long term.

The cover shell preferably has at least one front panel which completely covers the outside. The advantages mentioned above are confirmed again. In addition, a completely different visual impression of the door is possibly achieved by this configuration. This can be designed variably both in terms of color and material, so that a high degree of flexibility and user individuality is also achieved in this context.

It is provided that the cover shell is designed like a trough and has a front plate which covers the outside of the main body of the door. In addition, the cover shell also has side edges, the side edges of the Cover the main body of the door at least in certain areas. The side edges are preferably formed by legs extending in the depth direction of the door. In addition to a further flexibility of the optical functional improvement of the design of the door, this design of the cover shell also enables mechanically stable fastening. It is preferably provided that the side edges are U-shaped in horizontal section.

According to the invention it is provided that the cover shell is designed like a trough and has a front plate which covers the outside of the base body of the door and that the cover shell has side edges that coincide with side edges of the base body of the door are arranged in alignment. The side edges of the cover shell thus in particular do not cover the side edges of the door and do not engage behind them. The width of the door, measured between the two opposite side edges of the door, and the width of the cover shell, measured between the two opposite side edges of the cover shell, are therefore identical. The side edges of the cover shell can be formed by legs extending essentially in the depth direction. Fastening means of the cover shell, for example magnets, latching connections, Velcro fasteners, etc., are largely covered by these legs and protected from soiling. A gap is preferably provided between the side edges of the cover shell, for example free end edges of the legs, and the outside of the door. The gap can have a gap dimension of, for example, 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

It can be provided that the door has on one side edge, preferably on both side edges, a recessed grip extending over the entire height of the door.

It can be provided that the cover shell has a leg on a horizontal edge, preferably the upper horizontal edge, or on both horizontal edges, which leg extends in the depth direction of the door. On the one hand, such a leg can serve as an additional connection between the cover shell and the door on the upper horizontal edge. In particular, this leg can form an upper edge of the door, e.g. cover a top surface and be supported on it, so that weight forces of the cover shell can be at least partially transmitted through it. On the other hand, this leg or these legs can optionally be used to cover a gap between the door and the housing.

It is preferably provided that the cover shell is fastened to the door in a non-destructive detachable manner by means of a latching connection and / or a clip connection and / or a suspension connection. These configurations for fastening the cover shell are very simple and thus enable the cover shell to be fastened and removed very quickly. Such a configuration is advantageous when the cover shell is only a plate and otherwise there are no mechanically stable fastening options.

It is preferably provided that the cover shell is attached to the door in a non-destructive detachable manner by means of hook and eye connections, so-called Velcro fasteners being able to be formed here. This configuration is also very simple and can be removed and re-attached very quickly. Particularly in the case of very weight-minimized cover shells, this can then also be advantageously provided and likewise enable the cover shell to be attached to the base body in a secure manner. It is possible that several connection points separate from one another are formed, in each of which a part of the hook-and-eye connection is attached to the cover shell and to the door, for example glued on. For example, several rectangular connection points, for example in each corner area of the cover shell or door, can be provided. It is also possible to provide strip-like connection points which extend, for example, along the edge areas of the cover shell or door.

According to the invention it is provided that the cover shell is attached to the door in a non-destructive detachable manner by means of magnets.

It is also possible that the cover shell is attached to the door by means of one or more screw connections.

It should be mentioned at this point that the mentioned optional configurations of fastening options can each be provided individually, in order to enable the cover shell to be fastened to the base body, or any combinations of different fastening options can also be provided. In particular, it is possible that the cover shell is located on a first side, for example a vertical center plane of the door running in the depth direction. the left side, is connected to the door by means of a first fastening possibility, e.g. by interlocking, and on a second side, e.g. the right side, is connected to the door by means of a second fastening possibility, e.g. is screwed on.

With some fastening options, such as magnets, the cover shell can also be rotated in the fastened state, so that the orientation and position can be changed.

It is preferably provided that the cover shell is made of an opaque material, at least in some areas. This configuration thus achieves an opaque covering of the outside, so that with regard to the optical Variability of the door is another benefit achieved. With such a configuration, a viewer perceives neither the outside nor its material and color configuration, but only recognizes this cover shell in its material and color configuration.

It can also be provided that the cover shell is at least partially made of a transparent material. In this context, for example, a glass or a plastic can be provided. It can be provided here both completely transparent and a translucent or opaque design. In such configurations, the cover shell is then provided in particular as impact protection or scratch protection for the outside and, if appropriate, the side edges of the base body.

It can also be provided that the cover shell is a frame covered with a fabric or the like.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, it is provided that a non-destructively non-detachable coating or film is at least partially applied to the rear of the cover shell, at least in the transparent area. Such a configuration can enable further individualization of the user, since the cover shell can be made extremely flexible in terms of color, function and material. In this context it can be provided that, for example, the cover shell is made of glass or plastic and is provided with a metallic coating on the back. In this way, very special, individual optical configurations are achieved, which are also associated with a specific optical depth effect when viewed. Likewise, it is then also possible to apply specific information or images or other information to the rear side, which can then be recognized and perceived by a user when looking at the door from the front and thus also the cover shell. The coating can be applied, for example, as a print. Sputtering can also be provided. Other known coating processes are of course also possible. An engraving, for example by means of a laser, can also be provided.

In a further very advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that a non-destructively detachable information layer is introduced between the cover shell and the outside of the base body, which thus represents a separate part from the cover shell and from the outside. Such a configuration increases the flexibility of the user-specific configuration again. Because the user can exchange the information situation practically at will and thus adapt it to his individual needs.

The information situation can be, for example, a picture or a material. A poster or other printed paper or the like can be provided as the image.

According to the above statements, the cover shell can thus be designed as a trough-like hood or as a front panel with lateral profiles or only as a panel.

Such an individualization option for a door also allows changing installation conditions of the household appliance, for example when buying a new kitchen and the like, to be taken into account on a user-specific basis.

An interchangeable cover shell can also provide an optically and / or materially and / or shape-specific very individual component, by means of which, for example, the door can also be designed with very high-quality materials, but the entire base body does not have to be formed from this material, whereby a lower-cost design of the door is also achieved while still having the same appearance.

The invention also relates to a household appliance, in particular a household refrigerator, with a door according to the invention or an advantageous embodiment thereof. The household refrigerator can be, for example, a refrigerator or a freezer or a combined refrigerator-freezer. In particular, the household appliance is designed for free-standing positioning and is therefore in particular not arranged in a furniture installation niche.

It is preferably provided that the cover shell is designed to be different in color from the outside of the door and / or a housing of the household appliance to which the door is attached. In addition to or instead of this, the material configuration of the cover shell can also be different from the outside of the door and / or a housing of the household appliance.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung des Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts mit optional dargestellten unterschiedlichen Abdeckschalen;

Fig. 2

eine Explosionsdarstellung eines Beispiels einer Tür mit einer Abdeckschale, die nicht ein Teil der vorliegenden Erfindung ist;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Haushaltsgeräts mit der Tür und der Abdeckschale gemäß Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

eine Explosionsdarstellung eines weiteren Beispiels einer Tür mit einer Abdeckschale;

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Beispiels eines Haushaltsgeräts mit einer Tür gemäß Fig. 4;

Fig. 6

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines weiteren Beispiels einer Tür mit einer Abdeckschale, die nicht ein Teil der vorliegenden Erfindung ist;

Fig. 7

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Beispiels eines Haushaltsgeräts mit einer Tür gemäß Fig. 6;

Fig. 8

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines weiteren Beispiels einer Tür mit einer Abdeckschale, die nicht ein Teil der vorliegenden Erfindung ist;

Fig. 9

eine Schnittdarstellung aus Fig. 8 und

Fig. 10

eine zu Fig. 9 analoge Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels, das ein Teil der vorliegenden Erfindung ist;

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of the embodiment of a household appliance according to the invention with optionally shown different cover shells;

Fig. 2

an exploded view of an example of a door with a cover shell which is not part of the present invention;

Fig. 3

a perspective view of a household appliance with the door and the cover according to FIG Fig. 2 ;

Fig. 4

an exploded view of a further example of a door with a cover shell;

Fig. 5

a perspective illustration of an example of a household appliance with a door according to FIG Fig. 4 ;

Fig. 6

a perspective view of another example of a door with a cover shell which is not part of the present invention;

Fig. 7

a perspective illustration of an example of a household appliance with a door according to FIG Fig. 6 ;

Fig. 8

a perspective view of another example of a door with a cover shell which is not part of the present invention;

Fig. 9

a sectional view Fig. 8 and

Fig. 10

one to Fig. 9 analog representation of an embodiment which is part of the present invention;

Identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

In Fig. 1 a household appliance, which is a household refrigerator 1, is shown in a perspective illustration. In the exemplary embodiment, it is designed as a combined refrigerator-freezer. The household refrigerator 1 comprises a housing 2 which delimits two separate interior spaces, namely a cooling space and a freezing space. These rooms can be closed at the front by doors 3 and 4, these doors 3 and 4 in Fig. 1 are also shown in the closed state. Doors 3 and 4 can be opened and closed independently of each other. The door 3 comprises a base body 3a, which has a front side or an outer side 3b and side edges, of which only the side edge 3c can be seen.

Correspondingly, the door 4 comprises a base body 4a with a front side or outer side 4b and side edges, of which only the vertical side edge 4c can be seen here as well.

In the case of a household refrigerator 1 in particular, it is common for these doors 3 and 4 with their base bodies 3a and 4a to each have an outer shell which encompasses the outer sides 3b and 4b, respectively. In addition, an inner shell is provided which is connected to the outer shell. In an intermediate space between the outer shell and the inner shell, a thermally insulating material, such as, for example, an insulating foam or a vacuum insulation panel, is usually introduced.

The household refrigerator 1 also includes a separate cover shell provided for the door 3 or for the door 4. In this context, in Fig. 1 several examples of such cover shells are shown. In a first embodiment, a cover shell 5 is provided for the door 3. The dimensions of the cover shell 5 are designed in such a way that they cover the entire surface of the outside 3b with a front plate 5a. In addition, the cover shell 5 also comprises side edges 5b which, when attached to the base body 3a, also cover the side edges 3c. The Cover shell 5 is formed in one piece. In addition, a cover shell 6 is provided for the door 4, which also has a front panel 6a and side edges 6b. This cover shell 6 can also be fastened non-destructively to the door 4, in particular to the base body 4a, in a manner analogous to the non-destructively releasable fastening possibility of the cover shell 5 on the door 3. Here, too, the dimensions of the front plate 6a are dimensioned in such a way that they cover the entire surface of the outside 4b.

It is provided here that the cover shells 5 and 6 are different in color and / or material from the outside 3b or 4b and the side edges 3c or 4c.

In the embodiment shown, it is provided that the cover shells 5 and 6 are made of an opaque material, so that when the cover shells 5 and 6 are attached to the base bodies 3a and 4a, the outer sides 3b and 4b are opaque.

In Fig. 1 a further embodiment of cover shells 5 'and 6' is also shown. The only difference to the design of the cover shells 5 and 6 is the different coloring and / or material design.

In addition, in Fig. 1 a further embodiment of cover shells 5 "and 6" is shown. These cover shells 5 ″ and 6 ″ are made of a transparent material, for example glass or plastic. When the cover shells 5 ″ and 6 ″ are attached to the base bodies 3a and 4a, the outside 3b or 4b can then still be seen. It can advantageously be provided that the cover shell 5 ″ and / or 6 ″ has a rear side and thus a side facing the outer side 3b or 4b in the attached state with a non-destructive, non-detachable coating, for example printing or the like. As a result, single-colored individual designs can also be provided, as well as the formation of image motifs or other information displays.

It can also be provided that in an embodiment as shown by the cover shells 5 ″ and 6 ″, in the attached state between the outer side 3b and the cover shell 5 ″ and / or the cover shell 6 ″ and the outer side 4b separate information, for example a substance or an image, is introduced in a non-destructive detachable manner. In such a configuration, the base body 3a and the cover shell 5 ″ represent a kind of picture frame or exhibition case.

It can also be provided that the cover shell 5 ″ is applied to the base body 3a, for example, and the cover shell 6 or 6 ′ is applied to the base body 4a. Here, too, a user-specific variation and flexibility can be implemented.

In Fig. 2 shows in an exploded view a further example of the door 3 with the base body 3a, which is not part of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cover shell 5 is trough-like and encompasses the front plate 5a and the side edges 5b all the way around it, so that in the assembled state the base body 3a is received in this trough-like cover shell or is completely framed on the front and sides. In this embodiment, the cover shell 5 is provided, as it were, as a hood for the base body 3a.

In Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the household refrigerator 1 with the design of the door 3 and the cover shell 5 as shown in Fig. 2 is shown formed. Here too, of course, the cover shell 5 can be made of a completely opaque material and / or an opaque color, or it can be made completely transparent or translucent or opaque.

In Fig. 4 the door 3 is shown in a further exploded view, wherein in this embodiment the cover shell 5 only has an in particular flat front plate 5a. Side edges 5b extending out of the plane out of the front plate 5a are not provided here. To fasten this cover shell 5 to the base body 3a, for example, a latching connection and / or a clip connection and / or a hook-and-eye connection and / or magnets and / or a suspension connection can be provided.

In Fig. 5 an example of a household refrigerator 1 is shown in a perspective illustration, which has a door 3 with a cover shell 5 according to the illustration in FIG Fig. 4 having.

In Fig. 6 shows in a perspective view another example of the door 3 with a cover shell 5, which is not part of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cover shell 5 comprises, in addition to an essentially flat front plate 5a, vertical side edges 5b which are U-shaped in a horizontal section (xz plane). As a result, a guide and holding rail is also created by the side edges 5b, by means of which the cover shell 5 can then be pushed onto the base body 3a from above. This is indicated by the arrow P in Fig. 6 clarified.

In Fig. 7 an example of a household refrigerator 1 is shown in which a door 3 with a cover shell 5 as shown in FIG Fig. 6 is trained. In particular, it is provided that the cover shell 6, as shown in FIG Fig. 7 is shown on the door 4 in the assembled end position, is formed analogously to the cover shell 5.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a further example of a door 3 according to the invention with a cover shell 5, which is not part of the present invention. The door 3 has a recessed grip 7 on both side edges 3c, which extends over the complete vertical extension of the door 3, ie its height. The outside 3b of the door 3 is arched, namely convex.

The cover shell 5, however, has a front plate 5a that is not curved. Side edges 5b of the cover shell 5 are each formed by a leg 8 connected to the front plate 5a and a holding section 9 connected to the leg 8. The legs 8 protrude essentially perpendicularly from the front plate 5a in the depth direction. The holding sections 9 are at an angle to the legs 8.

A further leg 11 is arranged on an upper horizontal edge 10. When the cover shell 5 is in place, this can be supported on a cover surface 12 of the door. The leg 11 does not extend over the entire width of the cover shell 5, so that on the one hand it can be manufactured easily and inexpensively (e.g. as a stamped and bent part made of sheet metal) and on the other hand the side edges, in particular their legs 8 and their holding sections 9, easily join allow elastic deformation during assembly.

A sectional illustration along the sectional plane IX-IX with the cover shell 5 mounted is shown in FIG Fig. 9 and shows how the cover shell 5 was clamped onto the outside 3b of the door 3 in such a way that the front panel 5a takes over the curved contour of the outside 3b. The holding sections 9 engage in the recessed grips 7 of the door and form a positive connection and, due to the elastic deformation of the holding sections 9, also a non-positive connection between the cover shell 5 and the door 3.

Fig. 10 shows one to Fig. 9 analog sectional view of an exemplary embodiment. It is part of the present invention. In turn, the door 3 has recessed grips 7 on the side edges 3c which extend over the entire height of the door 3. In contrast to the example Fig. 9 However, the side edges 5b of the cover shell 5 do not engage in the recessed grips 7.

Rather, the cover shell 5 is attached to the door 3 by means of a magnetic connection and a latching connection. With respect to a vertical center plane 13 running in the depth direction, the magnetic connection is arranged on the left and the latching connection is arranged on the right.

The magnetic connection is formed by two magnets 14, one of which is connected to the door 3 and one to the cover shell 5. The latching connection is formed by a latching head 14 connected to the cover shell 5 and a latching opening 15 provided in the door 3.

The cover shell 5 in turn has legs 8 on both side edges 5b. Instead of reaching into the recessed grips 7, however, the legs 8 run flush with the side edges 3c of the door 3. The legs 8 reduce the risk of dirt entering the space between the cover shell 5 and the door 3, since there is only a small gap 17 between the end edges of the Leg 8 and the outside 3b of the door 3 is present.

The explained cover shells can be made of glass or wood or metal or plastic, at least in some areas. <b> List of reference symbols </b> 1 Household refrigeration device 10 edge 2 casing 11 leg 3 door 12 Top surface 3a Base body 13 Middle plane 3b Outside 14th magnet 3c Margin 15th Locking head 4th door 16 Locking opening 4a Base body 17th gap 4b Outside P arrow 4c Margin 5 Cover shell 5 ' Cover shell 5 " Cover shell 5a Front panel 5b Margins 6th Cover shell 6 ' Cover shell 6 " Cover shell 6a Front panel 6b Margins 7th Recessed grip 8th leg 9 Holding section

Claims (13)

1. Door (3, 4) for a household appliance (1), with a base body (3a, 4a), which has an outer side (3b, 4b), wherein a covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is arranged on the door (3, 4) such that it can be released in a non-destructive manner, and the outer side (3b, 4b) is covered by the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") at least in regions, wherein the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is embodied in a trough-like manner and has a front plate (5a, 6a), which covers the outer side (3b, 4b), and has side edges (5b, 6b), which cover side edges (3c, 4c) of the base body (3a, 4a) at least in regions, characterised in that the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is fastened to the base body (3a, 4a) by means of magnets such that it can be released in a non-destructive manner.
2. Door (3, 4) according to claim 1, characterised in that the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") has at least one front plate (5a, 6a), which covers the full area of the outer side (3b, 4b).
3. Door (3, 4) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the side edges (5b, 6b) of the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") are embodied such that they are U-shaped in their horizontal section.
4. Door (3, 4) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is fastened to the base body (3a, 4a) such that it can be released in a non-destructive manner, by means of a latch connection and/or a clip connection and/or a suspension connection.
5. Door (3, 4) according to one of claims 1 or 2 or 4, characterised in that the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is fastened to the base body (3a, 4a) such that it can be released in a non-destructive manner, by means of hook and loop connections.
6. Door (3, 4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is embodied as made of a non-transparent material, at least in regions.
7. Door (3, 4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is embodied as made of a transparent material, at least in regions.
8. Door (3, 4) according to claim 7, characterised in that a coating or film, which cannot be released in a non-destructive manner, is at least partially applied to the rear side of the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6"), at least in the transparent region.
9. Door (3, 4) according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that an information point, which is arranged such that it can be released in a non-destructive manner, is introduced between the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") and the outer side (3b, 4b).
10. Door (3, 4) according to claim 9, characterised in that the information point is an image or a substance.
11. Door (3, 4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that on a horizontal edge, preferably the upper horizontal edge, or on both horizontal edges, the covering shell (5) has a leg (11) which extends in the depth direction of the door (2, 3).
12. Household appliance, in particular household refrigeration appliance (1), with at least one door (3, 4) according to one of the preceding claims.
13. Household appliance according to claim 12, characterised in that the covering shell (5, 5', 5", 6, 6', 6") is embodied with a different colour and/or material from the outer side (3b, 4b) of the base body (3a, 4a) and/or a housing (2) of the household appliance, to which the door (3, 4) is fastened.

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