EP3822543A1

EP3822543A1 - Door for home appliance and home appliance

Info

Publication number: EP3822543A1
Application number: EP20203205.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Zhishan Lu; Ping LV; Chuan Zhang; Nanwei Zhang
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2019-11-13
Filing date: 2020-10-22
Publication date: 2021-05-19
Also published as: CN112797710A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a door (100) for a household appliance and a household appliance. The door (100) includes a front panel (1) and a decorative strip (2), the decorative strip includes a decoration portion (21) extending along at least one edge of the front panel (1) and exposed to a front part of the door (100) and a mounting portion (22) connected to the front panel (1). The decorative strip and the front panel are connected together, which is conducive to strengthening integrity of the decorative strip and the front panel, and improving overall beauty of the door. When it is necessary, the structure not only makes it possible to enable the decorative strip and the front panel to be an integrated component, to provide a possibility of a plurality of choices of purchasing the decorative strip and the front panel; but also makes it possible to enable the decorative strip and the front panel to be an integrity for mounting, which is conducive to improving speed of assembling.

Description

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a door for a household appliance and a household appliance.

Related Art

CN202470596U discloses an integrated door frame of a refrigerator door, and the integrated door frame includes: an integrated door frame body. An embedded handle is disposed on an upper part of a front face of the door frame body, and door glass is bonded on the door frame body below the handle. A fringe of the door glass is flush with a fringe of the door frame body.

SUMMARY

An objective of embodiments of the present invention is to provide an improved household appliance and a door for a household appliance.
Another objective of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a household appliance that is conducive to improving user experience and a door for a household appliance.
An aspect of the embodiments of the present invention is related to a door for a household appliance, including a front panel and a decorative strip, characterized in that the decorative strip includes a decoration portion extending along at least one edge of the front panel and exposed to a front part of the door and a mounting portion connected to the front panel.
Using the structure, the decorative strip and the front panel are connected together, which is conducive to strengthening integrity of the decorative strip and the front panel, and improving overall beauty of the door. When it is necessary, the structure not only makes it possible to enable the decorative strip and the front panel to be an integrated component, to provide a possibility of a plurality of choices of purchasing the decorative strip and the front panel; but also makes it possible to enable the decorative strip and the front panel to be an integrity for mounting, which is conducive to improving speed of assembling.
Further, the decoration portion is exposed to a front part of the door, so that the decoration portion can be exposed to consumers, improving the overall beauty of the door and further improving the user experience.
The household appliance of the embodiments of the present invention may be a refrigerator, a disinfection cabinet, a dishwasher, a washing machine, or the like.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the mounting portion is at least partially located behind the front panel. In this case, the mounting portion may not be exposed to consumers, thereby improving beauty of the door.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the door further includes an end cover forming at least a part of an end surface of the door, where the decorative strip is located between the front panel and the end cover, which is conducive to mounting the decorative strip stably.
"The end surface of the door" of the present invention may be an upper end surface, a lower end surface, a left end surface or a right end surface of the door.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the decorative strip is in contact with the end cover. Therefore, no gap exists between the decorative strip and the end cover, thereby not only improving the integrity of the decorative strip and the end cover and improving the beauty of the door, but also preventing particles such as dusts from dropping into a place between the decorative strip and the end cover.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the end cover includes a first connecting face and a second connecting face abutting against the decorative strip and disposed at an interval. Therefore, a connecting range of the end cover and the decorative strip can be increased, which is conducive to connecting the decorative strip and the end cover.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the first connecting face abuts against a back surface of the decoration portion, and the second connecting face abuts against a back surface of the mounting portion. Therefore, the end cover may be connected to the decoration portion and the mounting portion.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, in a front-rear direction, the decorative strip is located in front of the end cover and covers the end cover. In this case, the end cover may not be exposed to the consumers, but the decorative strip is exposed to the consumers, improving the beauty of the door, and further improving the user experience.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, in a front-rear direction, the decorative strip and the front panel cover the end cover. Therefore, the decorative strip and the front panel are exposed to the consumers, preventing the end cover from being exposed to the consumers, improving the beauty of the door, and further improving the user experience.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the decoration portion exceeds the first connecting face of the end cover. In this case, a top part of the end cover may be prevented from being exposed to the consumers, thereby improving the beauty of the door.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the mounting portion is bonded to a back surface of the front panel. Therefore, the mounting portion is fixed to the front panel, making it possible to enable the decorative strip and the front panel to be an integrated component.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the mounting portion includes a first surface and a second surface that face the front panel. The first surface is in direct contact with the front panel, and a first bonding device exists between the second surface and the front panel. In this case, no gap exists between the mounting portion and the front panel, thereby improving integrity of the mounting portion and the front panel, facilitating fixing of the mounting portion and the front panel, making it easy to assemble, and improving production efficiency.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the first surface is connected to an end surface of the decoration portion, where the end surface of the decoration portion is in face-to-face contact with an end surface of the front panel. In this case, the end surface of the decoration portion may be in face-to-face contact with the end surface of the front panel, preventing a gap from being generated between the end surface of the decoration portion and the end surface of the front panel, thereby improving the integrity of the decoration portion and the front panel, and further improving the beauty of the door.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the mounting portion includes a third surface and a fourth surface that face a back side and a connecting surface connecting the third surface and the fourth surface, an end cover includes a joint portion parallel to the front panel, a front surface of the joint portion is in face-to-face contact with the third surface, and an end surface of the joint portion is face-to-face with the connecting surface. In this case, the integrity of the end cover and the decorative strip may be improved, and the end cover and the decorative strip may be connected stably. According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the door further includes a front plate, where the front panel covers a front side of the front plate, the front plate is provided with a mounting hole, and the mounting portion extends through the mounting hole to a back side of the front panel. In this case, the front plate may be prevented from being exposed to the consumers, improving the beauty of the door and user experience, and facilitating mounting of the decorative strip to the front panel, thereby improving the production efficiency.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the mounting portion includes a connection portion located in the mounting hole and abutting against an inner edge of the mounting hole. In this case, the mounting portion may closely fit with the front panel to improve quality of assembling.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the door further includes a thermal insulation layer formed by foaming and located between the front panel and the end cover, where the mounting portion is in contact with the thermal insulation layer. Therefore, by foaming, the mounting portion may be fixed in the thermal insulation layer, so that the decorative strip can be tightly mounted, which is conducive to improving reliability of the mounting of the decorative strip.
Another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention is related to a panel assembly, including a front panel and a decorative strip, characterized in that the decorative strip includes a decoration portion extending along at least one edge of the front panel and exposed to a front part of the front panel and a mounting portion at least partially located behind the front panel. In this case, it is possible that the front panel and the decorative strip may be an integrated component, and the decorative strip and the front panel may be an integrity for mounting, which is conducive to improving speed of assembling.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the mounting portion is bonded to a back surface of the front panel. In this case, the mounting portion may not be exposed to consumers, thereby improving beauty of the door.
According to an exemplary implementation of the present invention, the mounting portion includes a first surface and a second surface that face the front panel, the first surface is in direct contact with the front panel, and a first bonding device exists between the second surface and the front panel. In this case, the decorative strip may be stably connected to the front panel, which is also conducive to improving the integrity of the front panel and the decorative strip.
Still another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention is related to a household appliance, including the door according to any one of the foregoing claims.
Yet another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention is related to a household appliance, including the panel assembly according to any one of the foregoing claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic partial three-dimensional diagram of a door for a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged diagram of a schematic partial cross-sectional view along an A-A direction in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a decorative strip according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numerals:

door 100	front panel 1	decorative strip 2	end cover 3
front plate 4	thermal insulation layer 5	mounting hole 41	first bonding device 6
decoration portion 21	mounting portion 22	first connecting face 31	second connecting face 32
joint portion 33	first surface 23	second surface 24	third surface 25
fourth surface 26	connecting surface 27	connection portion 28	fifth surface 29

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For a further understanding of the objectives, structures, features and functions of the present invention, a detailed description is made below in cooperation with embodiments.
As shown in FIG. 1, a door 100 is used for connecting to a case body (not shown) of a household appliance to close or open a storage compartment located in the case body. The door 100 may be connected to the case body through a hinge, or slidably supported on the case body through a guide rail.
The household appliance of the embodiments of the present invention may be a refrigerator, a disinfection cabinet, a dishwasher, a washing machine, or the like. FIG. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of a door for a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
The door 100 includes a front plate 4, a back plate (not shown), and a decorative strip 2 extending along at least one edge of the front plate 4.
The door further includes a front panel 1 covering a front side of the front plate 4. The front panel 1 forms a front surface of the door. The front panel 1 may be made of glass, plastic, ceramic or a plank.
The door further includes a thermal insulation layer 5 located in the door, and the thermal insulation layer 5 is joined to the front plate 4, the back plate, a mounting portion 22 and an end cover 3.
The thermal insulation layer 5 may be formed by injecting a foaming agent into a thermal insulation space enclosed by the front plate 4, the back plate, the mounting portion 22 and the end cover 3 to foam. The mounting portion 22 is located in the thermal insulation layer 5, and is in contact with the thermal insulation layer 5.
The decorative strip 2 includes a decoration portion 21 extending along at least one edge of the front panel 1 and exposed to a front part of the door and the mounting portion 22 connected to the front panel 1. The mounting portion 22 is at least partially located behind the front panel 1.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the decoration portion 21 is located above the front panel 1. A front surface of the decoration portion 21 close to an end of the front panel 1 is roughly flush with a front surface of the front panel 1. A lower end surface of the decoration portion 21 is in face-to-face contact with an upper end surface of the front panel 1.
Therefore, along a depth direction of the refrigerator, a possibility that a gap exists between the decoration portion 21 and the front panel 1 is reduced, thereby improving integrity of the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1, and further improving beauty of the door.
The door further includes the end cover 3 forming at least a part of an end surface of the door, and the decorative strip 2 is located between the front panel 1 and the end cover 3. The end surface of the door may be an upper end surface, a lower end surface, a left end surface or a right end surface. The end cover 3 may be mounted at an upper end, a lower end, a left end or a right end of the door.
The decorative strip 2 is in contact with the end cover 3. As shown in FIG. 3, in an embodiment, a front surface of the end cover 3 is in contact with a back surface of the decorative strip 2. In this case, the decorative strip 2 and the end cover 3 may be connected together.
The end cover 3 includes a first connecting face 31 and a second connecting face 32 abutting against the decorative strip 2 and disposed at an interval. The first connecting face 31 abuts against a back surface of the decoration portion 21, and the second connecting face 32 abuts against a back surface of the mounting portion 22.
In a front-rear direction, the decorative strip 2 is located in front of the end cover 3 and covers the end cover 3. An upper edge of the decorative strip 2 exceeds an upper edge of the end cover 3. Specifically, the decoration portion 21 exceeds the first connecting face 31 of the end cover 3. In this case, the end cover 3 may be prevented from being exposed to consumers, thereby improving the beauty of the door and user experience.
In an embodiment, seen from the front-rear direction, the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 cover the end cover 3. Therefore, the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 are exposed to the consumers, preventing the end cover 3 from being exposed to the consumers.
The mounting portion 22 is bonded to a back surface of the front panel 1. In this case, the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 are fixed together, thereby providing a possibility that the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 become an integrated component, so that the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 may form an independent panel assembly. The panel assembly may include the front panel 1 and the decorative strip 2.
In an embodiment, before a foaming procedure of the door, the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 may be formed into a compound structure in advance, and then the compound structure is connected to other components of the door to foam.
As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting portion 22 includes a first surface 23 and a second surface 24 that face the front panel 1. There is a certain height difference between the first surface 23 and the second surface 24 in a depth direction of the door, thereby forming a step portion between the first surface 23 and the second surface 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the first surface 23 is in direct contact with the front panel 1, and a first bonding device 6 exists between the second surface 24 and the front panel 1.
In an embodiment, the first bonding device 6 may include adhesive tape. The first bonding device 6 is located in the step portion, to fix the mounting portion 22 and the front panel 1 together.
As shown in FIG. 3, the first surface 23 is connected to an end surface of the decoration portion 21, and the end surface of the decoration portion 21 is in face-to-face contact with an end surface of the front panel 1. In the depth direction of the door, a size of the end surface of the decoration portion 21 is roughly the same as that of the end surface of the front panel 1. The first surface 23 is perpendicular to the end surface of the decoration portion 21.
As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting portion 22 further includes a third surface 25 and a fourth surface 26 that face a back side and a connecting surface 27 connecting the third surface 25 and the fourth surface 26. The end cover 3 includes a joint portion 33 parallel to the front panel 1. As shown in FIG. 3, a front surface of the connection portion 28 is in face-to-face contact with the third surface 25, and an end surface of the connection portion 28 is face-to-face with the connecting surface. The third surface 25 is parallel to the fourth surface 26.
The first surface 23 is opposite to the third surface 25, and the second surface 24 is opposite to the fourth surface 26.
As shown in FIG. 4, the front plate 4 exists between the end cover 3 and the decoration portion 21. The decoration portion 21 includes a fifth surface 29 facing a back side, and the fifth surface 29 abuts against the first connecting face 31 of the end cover 3. A second bonding device (not shown) exists between the fifth surface 29 and the front plate 4, and the fifth surface 29 is bonded to the front plate 4.
The front plate 4 is located behind the front panel 1 and the decoration portion 21, and the front panel 1 covers the front plate 4. A third bonding device (not shown) exists between the front panel 1 and the front plate 4, and the front panel 1 is bonded to the front plate 4.
As shown in FIG. 2, the front plate 4 is provided with a mounting hole 41. The mounting hole 41 extends along a length direction of the decorative strip 2, and the mounting portion 22 extends through the mounting hole 41 to a back side of the front panel 1. The decoration portion 21 is located in front of the mounting hole 41, and the mounting portion 22 is at least partially located behind the mounting hole 41.
As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting portion 22 includes the connection portion 28 located in the mounting hole 41 and abutting against an inner edge of the mounting hole 41, and the connection portion 28 matches the mounting hole 41.
Before the foaming procedure of the door, the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 may be first connected together by using the first bonding device 6, so that the decorative strip 2 and the front panel 1 form a panel assembly for assembling. Then, the panel assembly is mounted to the front plate 4. Specifically, the panel assembly is bonded to the front plate 4 by using the second bonding device and the third bonding device. In this case, the decorative strip 2, the front panel 1 and the front plate 4 may be connected together. Then, foaming and fixing are performed. By foaming, the thermal insulation layer 5 is joined to the front plate 4, the end cover 3 and the mounting portion 22, so that the decorative strip 2 is more firmly and stably mounted.
Various embodiments illustrated with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 may be combined with each other in any given manner to realize the advantage of the present invention. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the shown embodiments. Usually, apart from the shown means, other means can also be used as long as the means can also achieve the same effect.

Claims

A door (100) for a household appliance, comprising a front panel (1) and a decorative strip (2), characterized in that the decorative strip (2) comprises a decoration portion (21) extending along at least one edge of the front panel (1) and exposed to a front part of the door (100) and a mounting portion (22) connected to the front panel (1).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting portion (22) is at least partially located behind the front panel (1).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by further comprising an end cover (3) forming at least a part of an end surface of the door (100), and the decorative strip (2) located between the front panel (1) and the end cover (3).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the decorative strip (2) is in contact with the end cover (3).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the end cover (3) comprises a first connecting face (31) and a second connecting face (32) abutting against the decorative strip (2) and disposed at an interval.
The door (100) for a household appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the first connecting face (31) abuts against a back surface of the decoration portion (21), and the second connecting face (32) abuts against a back surface of the mounting portion (22).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to at least one of the claims 3 to 6, characterized in that in a front-rear direction, the decorative strip (2) is located in front of the end cover (3) and covers the end cover (3).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to at least claim 5, characterized in that the decoration portion (21) exceeds the first connecting face (31) of the end cover (3).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mounting portion (22) is bonded to a back surface of the front panel (1).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mounting portion (22) comprises a first surface (23) and a second surface (24) that face the front panel (1), the first surface (23) is in direct contact with the front panel (1), and a first bonding device (6) exists between the second surface (24) and the front panel (1).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that the first surface (23) is connected to an end surface of the decoration portion (21), wherein the end surface of the decoration portion (21) is in face-to-face contact with an end surface of the front panel (1).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mounting portion (22) comprises a third surface (25) and a fourth surface (26) that face a back side and a connecting surface (27) connecting the third surface (25) and the fourth surface (26), an end cover (3) comprises a joint portion (33) parallel to the front panel (1), a front surface of the joint portion (33) is in face-to-face contact with the third surface (25), and an end surface of the joint portion (33) is face-to-face with the connecting surface (27).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by further comprising a front plate (4), the front panel (1) covering a front side of the front plate (4), the front plate (4) being provided with a mounting hole (41), and the mounting portion (22) extending through the mounting hole (41) to a back side of the front panel (1).
The door (100) for a household appliance according to claim 13, characterized in that the mounting portion (22) comprises a connection portion (28) located in the mounting hole (41) and abutting against an inner edge of the mounting hole (41).
A household appliance, comprising the door (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.