EP3112783A1 - Household appliance with reduced wall thickness in a screwed joint area and method for producing a household appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a household appliance (1) having a wall (8) and a backing part (14) formed separately from the wall (8), wherein the backing part (14) is formed with a thin wall region (9), the thin wall region (9) facing one another the thickness (d1) of the backing part (14) has reduced wall thickness (d2) outside the thin wall region (9), and a hole (10) with a thread (11) for screwing in a screw (12) to create a screw connection between the wall ( 8) and the backing part (14) in the thin-wall region (9) is formed. The invention also relates to a method for producing a household appliance (1).

Description

The invention relates to a household appliance with a wall and with a backing part. Moreover, the invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a door for a household appliance.

In household appliances, such as a household refrigerator, it is known that a separate handle is fastened by screw on a door, which is designed for closing a receiving space for food. Since these handles must be fastened very stable and in the context of tightening torques for the screws greater than or equal to 1.3 Nm occur here also large loads on the one hand when screwing the screw, on the other hand can result from these torques imprints in the door when screwing , which then protrude on an outside wall on the visible side. In addition, since a minimum of a wall thickness for a wall should not be undershot, so as not to affect the stability of such a wall of a door, with such existing wall thicknesses and in the manufacture of aids must be used to the screwing of such screws enable. In this context, it is known that a certain lubrication is achieved by means of a silicone spray, so that the coefficient of friction and thus the insertion torque of the screws is reduced.

In the known preparations, it is therefore necessary to use appropriate tools and / or on the other hand then also unwanted deformations or impressions accept.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a domestic appliance as well as a method for producing the domestic appliance, in which such a screw connection can be produced more easily and unwanted impressions in the wall can be avoided.

This object is achieved by a household appliance and a method according to the independent claims.

A household appliance according to the invention comprises a wall and a backing part formed separately from the wall. The backing member is formed with a thin-walled portion, the thin-wall portion having a wall thickness reduced from the thickness of the backing member outside the thin-walled portion, and a threaded hole for screwing a screw to form a threaded connection between the wall and the backing member in the thin-walled portion.

The invention therefore makes it possible for the wall to be thickened by the backing piece and for the backing piece to be locally reduced in thickness at the location where the hole is formed. As a result, a high stability of the wall and the backing part is still possible and still improves the screw connection. For thus screwing in the screw is facilitated and can be done without aids, such as without a silicone spray, and it is also the mapping of prints in the wall when screwing avoided. Nevertheless, a separate additional part of the household appliance, such as a handle, with at least the same stability and strength on the wall fastened.

It is preferably provided that the wall thickness is at most three quarters of the thickness, in particular less than or equal to two thirds of the thickness. This achieves a considerable reduction in the thickness of the backing part in the thin-wall region, which further enhances the above-mentioned advantages.

It is preferably provided that the thin-wall region is a punch-embossed region. This means that initially the backing part is also provided in this thin-wall region with the original thickness and this thin-wall region is subsequently produced by pre-punching and then collapsing the material. This is then a very cost-reduced production of the thin-wall region, whereby this can also be generated precisely with respect to its dimensions in the plane in which the backing part extends, as well as in terms of its wall thickness.

It is preferably provided that the inside width of the thin-wall region is greater than the inside width of the hole. This makes it possible that a screw head can also be sunk in the depression formed by the difference between the thin-wall region and the region of the backing part adjoining the thin-wall region.

Preferably, it is provided that the thickness of the backing part is between 1.2 mm and 1.6 mm and thus is correspondingly thick outside the thin wall region. The wall preferably has a thickness between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm, in particular 0.5 mm.

It is envisaged that the wall is a narrow side edge of a door of the household appliance. Especially in such embodiments, in which a door handle is locally so specifically tied to the wall, it is particularly advantageous to fix it stable and yet to produce any unwanted imprints through the screw.

Preferably, the wall is formed of sheet metal.

In particular, the backing part is formed as a plate.

Moreover, the invention also relates to a household appliance with a door according to the invention or an advantageous embodiment thereof.

In the method according to the invention for producing a household appliance, a backing wall part with a thin-walled area is formed on a wall of the household appliance, the thin-walled area being formed with a wall thickness reduced with respect to the backing thickness, and a threaded hole for screwing in a screw is formed for generating a screw connection between the wall and the backing part in the thin-wall region.

In particular, the thin-wall region is produced by pre-punching the backing part with a subsequent embossing. In particular, the thread with a Threaded produced after the embossing of the thin-wall region, wherein the thread-rolling is also preferably produced by a stamping process.

As a result of the invention, when the screw is screwed in, a moment of resistance for a material thickness of the backing part outside the thin-wall region of greater than 1.4 mm is improved. It can be done easier screwing the screw, since in particular a screw-in torque does not vary so much, as is the case in the prior art. In addition, an improved and thus more precise shaping of the thread and thus also the thread rolling is made possible, which allows an improved and more precise design of the slope with a corresponding contour accuracy. In particular, by compressing the thickness of the backing part and thus a reduction of at least 30 percent, in particular by embossing the material thickness from 1.5 mm to 1.0 mm, high rigidity is achieved by work hardening.

The formation of impressions when screwing in the screw, as is the case in the prior art, can be avoided in the invention. Extraction of the thread, as may be the case by the use of thin backing parts, can be avoided.

The directions "width direction", "height direction", "depth direction", "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "outside", "inside" etc. for the door and the domestic refrigerator refer to on the state of a conventional refrigeration appliance whose door is arranged in front of a viewer and the back on the back.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the claims, the figures and the description of the figures. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or in isolation, without the frame to leave the invention. There are thus also embodiments of the invention as encompassed and disclosed, which are not explicitly shown and explained in the figures, however, emerge by separated combinations of features from the described embodiments and can be generated. Embodiments and combinations of features are also to be regarded as disclosed, which thus do not have all the features of an originally formulated independent claim.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Teildarstellung des Haushaltsgeräts gemäß Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine Darstellung einer Wand mit einem Dünnwandbereich, an dem ein Griff des Haushaltsgeräts mit einer Schraubverbindung befestigt wird;

Fig. 4

die Darstellung gemäß Fig. 3 von der Rückseite her betrachtet; und

Fig. 5

eine Schnittdarstellung durch ein Beispiel einer Wand mit einem Dünnwandbereich.

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

Fig. 1

a perspective view of an embodiment of a household appliance according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a partial perspective view of the household appliance according to Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

an illustration of a wall with a thin-wall region, to which a handle of the household appliance is fastened with a screw connection;

Fig. 4

the representation according to Fig. 3 viewed from the back; and

Fig. 5

a sectional view through an example of a wall with a thin wall area.

In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

In Fig. 1 is shown in a perspective view of a household appliance 1, which may be, for example, a household refrigeration appliance for storing and preserving food. The household appliance 1 comprises a housing 2, in which at least one receiving space 3 for receiving food is formed. In addition, a door 4, which is arranged to close the receiving space 3, is pivotably arranged on the housing 2. The door 4 further comprises a handle 5 which is screwed by screw on a base plate 6 of the door 4. The base plate 6 comprises narrow side edges, of which the side edge 7 is marked in more detail. At this narrow vertical side edge 7, which is a wall 8 of the base plate 6, the handle 5 is fastened by screw connections. On an inner side of the wall 8 is a separate Hinterlegteil 14 ( Fig. 2 to 5 ), which has a thickness d1 ( Fig. 2 ), which is greater than 1.2 mm, preferably 1.5 mm. The thickness of the wall 8 is for example between 0.4 mm and 1 mm, in particular between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm.

The backing part 14 comprises a local thin-wall region 9 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) having a wall thickness d2 smaller than the thickness d1. The thin wall region 9 comprises a hole 10 (FIG. Fig. 3 ), which has a thread 11 ( Fig. 3 ), so that an in Fig. 4 screw shown 12 can be screwed to produce a screw with the handle 5. The thread 11 has in particular only one pitch.

In particular, the thin-wall region 9 is a punch-embossed region which is produced from the plate-shaped backing part 14 by pre-punching and material compression of the original thickness d1. In addition, then still after this material summarizing a thread 13, as in Fig. 4 Shown is marked. In Fig. 4 is the backing part 14 of the in Fig. 3 opposite side and thus shown on the front. In particular, the in Fig. 4 shown side of the outer side, which then rests against the inside of the wall 8.

In Fig. 5 an example of the backing part 14 with the thin-wall region 9 is shown in a simplified sectional view.

A clear width I1 of the thin-wall region 9 is greater than a clear width I2 of the hole 10. In addition, what is shown in the schematic illustration according to FIG Fig. 5 is not shown and is preferably present, the thread 13 may be formed.

In addition, it can also be provided that an upper plateau 15 of the thin-wall region 9 does not run horizontally but runs obliquely and thus conically. The backing part 14 is arranged on the wall 8 such that the depression formed by the thin-wall region 9 is arranged facing away from the wall 8, wherein in particular a screw head of the screw 12 extends in the recess in the assembled state.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

household appliance

2

casing

3

accommodation space

4

door

5

Handle

6

baseplate

7

margin

8th

wall

9

Thin wall area

10

hole

11

thread

12

screw

13

Gewindewarze

14

backing piece

15

plateau

d1

thickness

d2

thickness

l1

clear width

l2

clear width

Claims (10)

Domestic appliance (1) having a wall (8) and a backing member (14) formed separately from the wall (8), characterized in that the backing member (14) is formed with a thin wall portion (9), the thin wall portion (9) facing one the thickness (d1) of the backing part (14) has reduced wall thickness (d2) outside the thin wall region (9), and a hole (10) with a thread (11) for screwing in a screw (12) to create a screw connection between the wall ( 8) and the backing part (14) in the thin-wall region (9) is formed. Domestic appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the wall thickness (d2) is at most three quarters of the thickness (d1), in particular less than or equal to two-thirds of the thickness (d1). Domestic appliance (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the thin-wall region (9) is a stamped-stamping area. Domestic appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a clear width (I1) of the thin-wall region (9) is greater than a clear width (I2) of the hole (10). Domestic appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness (d1) is between 1.2 mm and 1.6 mm. Domestic appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall (8) is a narrow side edge (7) of a door (4) of the household appliance (1) and is made of sheet metal. Domestic appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the backing part (14) is formed as a plate. Domestic appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that screwed to the screw connection a handle (5) on the wall (8) on the Hinterlegteil (14) opposite side of the wall (8). A method for producing a domestic appliance (1), comprising a wall (8), characterized in that a backing part (14) with a thin-walled region (9) formed separately from the wall (8) is arranged on the wall (8), the thin-wall region (9) is formed with a wall thickness (d2) reduced relative to the thickness (d1) of the backing member (14), and a threaded hole (10) (11) for screwing a screw (12) to create a threaded connection between the wall (8) and the backing part (14) is formed in the thin-wall region (9). A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the thin wall region (9) is produced by pre-punching the backing part (14) with a subsequent embossing, in particular the thread (11) with a thread roll (13) produced after embossing the thin-wall region (9) becomes.

Images