EP3730881A2 - Refrigerator and/or freezer - Google Patents

Abstract

Refrigerator and / or freezer with a thermally insulated device body which encloses an interior space, a removal opening being provided on the front of the device body to bring goods into and out of the interior space, a thermally insulated door being provided around the removal opening reversibly to close, wherein the device has a projection surface running around the door, which is preferably at least partially visible from the front, and wherein the device furthermore has a light source at least partially concealed from the front in order to illuminate the projection surface.

Description

The invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a special exterior lighting concept.

The "Ambilight" concept of the Philips company is known from the field of television screens, with the screen having several light sources on the back which illuminate the wall behind the screen in such a way that the viewer perceives the screen being framed by soft and indirect light becomes. In this way, the device's field of vision should be enlarged in the viewer's perception and, in addition to protecting the eyes, an attractive design should be achieved.

It is also known in the furniture industry to use indirect lighting as design elements. In this context, base lighting should be mentioned in particular.

The object of the invention is to provide an exterior lighting concept for a refrigerator and / or freezer which has an attractive design, an individualization of the devices and can also be used for information and warning purposes.

Against this background, the invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a thermally insulated device body that encloses an interior space, with a removal opening being provided on the front of the device body in order to be able to bring goods into and out of the interior space, with a thermally insulated door is provided to reversibly close the removal opening, the device having a projection surface running around the door, which is preferably at least partially visible from the front, and the device furthermore has a light source at least partially concealed from the front in order to illuminate the projection surface.

In this way, the appliance door can be framed in light with a corona-like appearance, whereby the user does not look directly into the light source and thus perceives the light as soft and pleasant. If the projection surface is not at least partially visible from the front, it is preferably concealed at most flush. The light source is preferably completely covered and not visible from the front.

If, in the present context, we are talking about a view from the front, i.e. something should be visible or not visible from the front, then we mean a view from a viewing point that is in a straight line and at right angles to the main surface of the door the point under consideration.

In one embodiment, the projection surface can be inclined backwards by a certain angle from the front plane of the device, for example by an angle of between 5 ° and 45 ° or between 10 ° and 30 °.

In one embodiment, the projection surface is formed by the rear incidence surface of a recessed grip around the door. In the preferred case of a asymmetrically designed recessed grip, in which the rear delimitation of the recess protrudes beyond the front delimitation of the recess, the rear incidence surface is at least partially visible from the front. In the case of a symmetrically designed recessed grip, in which the rear delimitation of the recess and the front delimitation of the recess are of the same height, the rear incidence surface is completely covered by the front delimitation of the recess, but it is only concealed flush.

The projection surface can also be formed by an area on the front side of the device body which frames the removal opening. In this embodiment, the door surface is preferably somewhat smaller than the front surface of the body, so that the area on the front side of the device body serving as a projection surface is at least partially visible from the front.

Combinations with several projection surfaces are also provided in another embodiment.

In one embodiment, the light sources are arranged in the door. This is at least necessarily the case when the projection surface is to be illuminated directly. The power supply can be provided by means of a line which, for example, is routed from the body into the door in the hinge area of the door.

It can be provided that the light sources are designed and arranged in order to illuminate the projection surface directly. For example, the light sources can be arranged on or below the front incidence surface of a circumferential recessed grip of the door in order to radiate from there directly onto a rear incidence surface of the recessed grip serving as a projection surface or an area on the front side of the device body serving as a projection surface. In another variant, the light sources can be arranged on or below the edge area of the rear side of the door in order to shine from there directly onto an area on the front side of the device body serving as a projection surface.

Alternatively, the light sources can also be designed and arranged to illuminate the projection surface indirectly. For example, the light can be thrown onto the projection surface via one or more reflectors or reflector surfaces.

In this context, an advantageous further development is that a light guide is provided, into which the light sources couple and from which light is radiated onto the projection surface. In this context it can also be provided that the light source is arranged on the device body and that the light guide is arranged in the door in such a way that the light from the light source is coupled into the light guide when the door is closed.

In the case of indirect irradiation of the projection surface and in particular with the use of light guides, the light sources can also be arranged on the device body and the light can be coupled into the door through light guides. Light guides have the advantage of evenly emitting light over a larger area or distance.

The position of the light emission points in the case of indirect lighting by, for example, reflectors or light guides, can be as described in connection with direct lighting.

In one embodiment it is provided that the light sources are flat light sources. Suitable flat light sources include, for example, OLEDs. Alternatively or additionally, in order to achieve uniform irradiation of the projection surface, diffusers can be arranged in the radiation path between light sources and the projection surface. Transparent cover plates with diffuser optics, i.e. diffuser plates, can serve as diffusers.

In one embodiment, the device has a frame or frame that is visible from the front and encircles the door. Contour lighting on. Using such frame lighting In addition to the indirect light emission through the projection surface, light can also be emitted directly in order to combine the corona-like light frame with contour lighting. The contour lighting typically has a higher luminance than the corona lighting. The contour lighting can be implemented by direct light output starting from a light guide into which the light sources couple.

The light sources can be designed so that light of different colors can be emitted. In this case, it can also be provided that the light sources are connected to a control unit of the refrigerator and / or freezer in such a way that the light sources are used to signal certain operating states based on their light color.

The invention further relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a thermally insulated device body that encloses an interior space, a removal opening being provided on the front of the device body in order to be able to bring goods into and out of the interior space, with a thermally insulated door being provided , in order to reversibly close the removal opening, and wherein the device has on its rear side a light source which is at least partially covered from the front in order to illuminate a surface arranged behind the device.

In this way, a light framing of the entire device with a corona-like optics can be achieved, whereby the user does not look directly into the light source and thus perceives the light as soft and pleasant. Here, too, the light source is preferably completely covered and not visible from the front.

In general, devices according to the invention have a heat pump with which the interior can be cooled. The heat pump is preferably a refrigerant circuit with a compressor, condenser, throttle and evaporator. The evaporator is typically arranged within the interior space surrounded by the heat-insulated device body, for example on or behind the wall of the inner container. The condenser is typically arranged outside of the interior space surrounded by the heat-insulated device body, for example on the rear of the device. The device can have a machine room in which at least some of the components of the heat pump, for example the compressor and possibly also a throttle and / or condenser, are arranged. The machine room can be arranged in a base area of the refrigerator and / or freezer. As an alternative or in addition to refrigerant circuits, magnetocaloric heat pumps and / or thermoelectric heat pumps can also be used.

The door is preferably a pivoting door that can be pivoted about a vertical axis. The device body preferably has a cuboid shape.

The device body and / or the door can be constructed in such a way that they have an outer skin and an inner container or inner lining, between which a heat-insulating layer is enclosed. The inner container can be an inner container made of plastic. Such an inner container is usually produced from a flat and thin plastic plate by deep drawing or thermoforming. The outer skin can consist of a metal sheet or also of plastic. The heat-insulating layer can be, for example, a heat-insulating foam, a fiber material or one or more vacuum insulation bodies.

In connection with the door, it can be provided in one embodiment that it is a glass door. In the present context, a glass door is to be understood as a door which has a large, transparent glass pane which extends over a substantial part of the door surface. The interior of the device and, in particular, goods stored in this interior are visible to a user from the outside when the door is closed through the glass surface. The glass pane is preferably in a frame on all sides edged. Thermally insulating multiple glazing is preferably provided. The multiple glazing is used for thermal insulation. In the insulating space between individual panes of the multiple glazing, air or an insulating gas such as argon or krypton can be found. An evacuation or partial evacuation of the isolation space can also be provided in one embodiment. In the present context, a glass is understood to mean both a mineral glass and a plastic glass, mineral glass being preferred because of its mechanical stability and scratch resistance.

The device can be a pure refrigerator, a pure freezer or a refrigerator and freezer combination device. It can also be provided that the temperature of the interior or the temperature of individual zones of the interior can be set variably so that the device can be operated either as a pure refrigerator, pure freezer or refrigerator and freezer combination device.

In one embodiment, the refrigerator and / or freezer is a wine cooler. Wine cooling devices are pure cooling devices, the interior temperature of which can typically be set in a range that is between 5 ° C and 25 ° C. They typically include several shelves specially designed for storing wine bottles and often a glass door. With a wine cooler, the visual appearance can often develop a special meaning for the customer.

In one embodiment variant, the refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention is a floor-standing device. A free-standing device typically has at least four legs on the floor and is suitable for free standing in a room.

Figur 1:

eine Frontalansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit aktiver koronaartiger Lichteinrahmung;

Figur 2:

Ansichten des Beleuchtungssystems einer Ausführungsvariante eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit direkter Bestrahlung einer Einfallfläche einer Griffmulde;

Figur 3:

eine Ansicht des Beleuchtungssystems einer Ausführungsvariante eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit indirekter Bestrahlung einer Einfallfläche einer Griffmulde;

Figur 4:

eine Ansicht des Beleuchtungssystems einer Ausführungsvariante eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit direkter Bestrahlung einer Einfallfläche einer Griffmulde und ferner eines Bereichs des Gerätekorpus;

Figur 5:

Ansichten des Beleuchtungssystems einer Ausführungsvariante eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit direkter Bestrahlung einer gesondert eingerichteten Projektionsfläche an der Gerätetür;

Figur 6:

Ansichten des Beleuchtungssystems einer weiteren Ausführungsvariante eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit direkter Bestrahlung eines Bereichs des Gerätekorpus;

Figur 7:

eine Ansicht des Beleuchtungssystems einer wiederum anderen Ausführungsvariante eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit einem Lichtleiter; und

Figur 8:

Ansichten von Beleuchtungssystemen einer Ausführungsvariante eines erfindungsgemäßen Kühl- und/oder Gefriergeräts mit einer zusätzlichen Rahmenbeleuchtung.

Further details and advantages of the invention emerge from the exemplary embodiment described below with reference to the figures. In the figures show:

Figure 1:

a front view of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with an active corona-like light frame;

Figure 2:

Views of the lighting system of a variant embodiment of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with direct irradiation of an incidence surface of a recessed grip;

Figure 3:

a view of the lighting system of an embodiment of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with indirect irradiation of an incidence surface of a recessed grip;

Figure 4:

a view of the lighting system of a variant embodiment of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with direct irradiation of an incidence surface of a recessed grip and also of a region of the device body;

Figure 5:

Views of the lighting system of a variant embodiment of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with direct irradiation of a separately set up projection surface on the appliance door;

Figure 6:

Views of the lighting system of a further variant embodiment of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with direct irradiation of a region of the device body;

Figure 7:

a view of the lighting system of yet another embodiment variant of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with a light guide; and

Figure 8:

Views of lighting systems of a variant embodiment of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with additional frame lighting.

Figure 1 shows a modeled image of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention with active corona-like light framing, in which the optical effect of the present invention is to be made clear.

Figures 2a-2d show views of the lighting system of a variant embodiment of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention. In this embodiment, direct irradiation takes place on a rear incidence surface 113 of a circumferential recessed grip 110, which serves as a projection surface.

Specifically, in this embodiment variant, the device comprises a device door 100 with a circumferential recessed grip 110 which is designed asymmetrically and whose rear boundary 111 projects beyond its front boundary 112. Correspondingly, the rear surface 113 of the recessed grip 110 is partially visible from the front. In the front incidence surface 114 of the recessed grip 110, an LED strip 120 with a multitude of row-arranged, point-shaped LED light sources is sunk and covered by a transparent diffuser plate 121 with micro- or nano-diffusing optics. The surface of the rear incidence surface 113 serving as a projection surface is designed in such a way that the light can be reflected well and is preferably scattered diffusely. Furthermore, the projection surface is inclined backwards by an angle of approximately 30 ° in order to deflect the light outwards.

Figure 3 shows a variant of the embodiment according to Figure 2 , in which the LED strip 120 sunk in the front incidence surface 114 is arranged in a niche 115 and is aligned in such a way that the light only hits the rear incidence surface 113 serving as a projection surface indirectly.

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention, in which the LED strip 120, which in this case is not recessed but is arranged superficially on the front incidence surface 114 of the recessed grip 110, directly both the rear incidence surface 113 of the recessed grip 110 and an area 210 serving as a further projection surface on the front side of the device body 200 illuminates. In this embodiment, the door surface is somewhat smaller than the front surface of the body 200, so that the area 210 serving as a projection surface is at least partially visible from the front.

Figures 5a-5b show an embodiment of the invention, wherein the door has no circumferential recessed grip and instead a circumferential niche 130 is provided in the side surface of the door 100 specifically for the lighting concept, in which the LED strip 120 is arranged on the front incidence surface 134 and the curved rear one Incidence surface 133 serves as a projection surface and is illuminated. The niche 130 is completely covered by a transparent diffuser plate 136 with micro- or nano-diffusing optics. The recess 130 is designed symmetrically and its rear boundary 131 is the same height as its front boundary 132, so that the rear incidence surface 133 serving as a projection surface is concealed flush.

Figures 6a-6b show an embodiment of the invention, wherein the door does not have a recessed grip or separate niche. Instead, a strand-shaped light guide 125 is provided as the light source in the area of the door seal 102. This light guide 120 directly illuminates an area 210 on the end face of the device body 200, which serves as a further projection surface. The door surface is in this embodiment, as in the embodiment Figure 4 , somewhat smaller than the front surface of the body 200, so that the area 210 serving as a projection surface is at least partially visible from the front.

Figures 7a-7b show an embodiment of the invention, wherein LED light sources 220 are arranged in the device body 200 and are coupled into the area of the recessed grip 110 of the door 100 via light guides 125 when the door is closed.

Ultimately show Figures 8a-8c an embodiment of the invention, wherein the front incidence surface 114 of the recessed grip 110 of the door 100 is lined with a plate-shaped light guide 126, which on the one hand illuminates the rear incidence surface 113 serving as a projection surface and on the other hand is also placed over the outside of the front boundary 112 of the recessed grip 110, in order to create frame lighting that is directly visible from the front.

Different types of light coupling based on LED lights 123 in such a light guide 126 are in the Figures 8d-8e shown, namely on the one hand from the side ( Figure 8d ) and on the other hand by vertical illumination ( Figure 8e ), the light guide in this case having a scattering optics 126a at the point of incidence.

In the embodiments of Figures 8a-8e In addition to a corona, which is created by illuminating the inclined scattering surface, contour lighting is also implemented, which is achieved through direct light emission from the front of the bent (in Figure 8a , 8d and 8e vertical) area of the light guide 126 is realized. The contour lighting typically has a higher luminance than the corona.

In summary, the present invention makes it possible to implement a circumferential and soft, corona-like light frame that is realized without direct illumination of the user by the light source. In a variant, an asymmetrical recessed grip is provided for this, that is to say a recessed grip which is shaped in such a way that the front part of the recessed grip, ie the grip side, is shorter than the rear part. The rear part of the recessed grip serves as a projection surface for the light and the lighting system is used in the front part of the recessed grip. Such embodiments are in Figures 2a-2d and in Figure 3 shown. A similar variant with a symmetrical recessed grip is also conceivable within the scope of the invention.

Another possibility for realizing a projection surface is to move the device door slightly inwards towards the side wall and thus to use the front side of the device door as a projection surface, as shown in FIG Figure 4 is shown. In this case, the lighting system can be used in the side surface of the door or also in the sealing area, as for example in FIG Figure 6 can be seen.

The lighting system can in all cases be, for example, an elongated LED circuit board which illuminates the projection surface through a light cover or a diffuser. The purpose of the diffuser is to homogenize individual light points of the LEDs with the help of, for example, micro or nano-scattering optics, so that the projection surface is illuminated homogeneously. Another possibility of homogenizing individual light points is to lengthen the light path to the projection surface by, for example, tilting the LED board and providing a deflecting reflector, such as in FIG Figure 3 shown.

The projection surface reflects the light indirectly into the eye of the beholder and thus creates a surrounding light frame, cf. Figure 1 .

Instead of an LED circuit board, another light source, for example an OLED, can also be used. Furthermore, it can be provided that a light guide is used in the installation space of the light source. Both have the advantage that the light emission is already homogeneous per se and a diffuser can possibly be dispensed with.

In the case of an LED circuit board variant, e.g. a stainless steel door can be used as a heat sink for the light source in order to avoid undesired heat development in the recessed grip. Galvanic isolation would have to be provided.

On the one hand, the light guide solution could be implemented in such a way that the light source is in the appliance door and directly couples the light into the light guide in the recess of the recessed grip. Alternatively, however, the light source can also be arranged on the body in order to couple the light into the recessed grip via light guides when the door is closed, as is shown, for example, in FIG Figure 7 is shown.

Suitable light guides include rigid light guides such as plastic plates or rods, or also flexible light guides, for example those made of silicone or those consisting of several optical fibers.

In connection with coupling in light, it can also be provided to couple light from several light sources at several points of a light guide in order to increase the efficiency and also to be able to illuminate several sections of the light guide individually if necessary. In the case of side-by-side devices, this may even be necessary so that there is no overlap in areas where two illuminated edges meet.

However, individual control of the LEDs can also be implemented with classic LED circuit boards. For example, a running light can be implemented with individual LEDs to be controlled.

The light sources can have a discrete light color on the one hand, but on the other hand as RGB (red, green, blue), RGBW (red, green, blue, white) or RGBWW (red, green, blue, warm-white, cold-white) Solutions to be realized.

Furthermore, it can be provided in a variant to combine the corona-like light frame with contour lighting, as shown in FIG Figure 8 is shown.

As an alternative to a corona-like light frame on the front of the device, a light frame can also be implemented on the rear of the device. Here the wall would serve as a projection surface and the lighting system would be near the rear edge of the device. The prerequisite for this is that the device is set up free-standing and without any adjacent furniture in front of a wall.

Claims (13)

Refrigerator and / or freezer with a thermally insulated device body which encloses an interior space, a removal opening being provided on the front of the device body to bring goods into and out of the interior space, a thermally insulated door being provided around the removal opening reversibly to close
characterized,
that the device has a projection surface running around the door, which is preferably at least partially visible from the front, and that the device furthermore has a light source that is at least partially covered from the front in order to illuminate the projection surface. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to Claim 1, characterized in that the projection surface is formed by the rear incidence surface of a recessed grip around the door. Cooling and / or freezing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the projection surface is formed by an area on the end face of the device body which frames the removal opening. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light sources are arranged in the door. Cooling and / or freezing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light sources are designed and arranged to illuminate the projection surface directly. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of Claims 1-4, characterized in that the light sources are designed and arranged to illuminate the projection surface indirectly. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 6, characterized in that a light guide is provided into which the light sources couple and from which light is radiated onto the projection surface. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 7, characterized in that the light source is arranged on the device body and that the light guide is arranged in the door in such a way that the light from the light source is coupled into the light guide when the door is closed. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light sources are flat light sources and / or that diffusers are arranged in the radiation path between the light sources and the projection surface. Cooling and / or freezing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has contour lighting that is visible from the front and encompasses the door. A refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 10, characterized in that the contour lighting is implemented by direct light emission, possibly by means of light exit from a light guide. A refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the contour lighting has a higher luminance than light emitted by the projection surface. Refrigerator and / or freezer with a thermally insulated device body which encloses an interior space, a removal opening being provided on the front of the device body to bring goods into and out of the interior space, a thermally insulated door being provided around the removal opening reversibly to close
characterized,
that the device has on its rear side a light source which is at least partially concealed from the front in order to illuminate a surface arranged behind the device.

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