GB2269531A

GB2269531A - Domestic appliance with fastenable housing flap

Info

Publication number: GB2269531A
Application number: GB9315256A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Kugler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-08-12
Filing date: 1993-07-23
Publication date: 1994-02-16
Also published as: GB9315256D0; FR2698657A1; ES2051249B1; ES2051249A1; IT1265053B1; ITMI931798A1; ITMI931798A0; DE4226706A1

Abstract

A domestic appliance comprises a cabinet-shaped housing (5) and a flap (3) which is arranged in a vertical wall of the housing and hinged at a horizontal edge. At least one loop-and-burr fastener (9, 10) is provided as fastening means holding the flap (3) in the closed setting. <IMAGE>

Description

2269531 DOMESTIC APPLIANCE WITH FASTENABLE HOUSING FLAP The present

invention relates to a domestic appliance.

In DE-GM 83 18 396 there is described a domestic appliance with a housing flap provided with rotatable latches which can be undone by means of a tool (screwdriver, coin) and accordingly require operations 5 which are frequently regarded as a nuisance.

It would be desirable to provide a fastening arrangement for a housing flap which can be undone without difficult manipulations and does not need to interrupt the external surface of the flap. The latter aspect is desirable from the viewpoint that the front surface of a flap shall preferably be integrated into the external design of a domestic appliance housing.

According to the present invention there is provided a domestic appliance comprising a cabinet-shaped housing, an openable flap arranged in an upright wall of the housing and hinged to the housing at a substantially horizontal edge of the flap, and loop-and-burr fastening means for holding the flap in a closed setting.

Such loop-and-burr fastening means may be invisible in the closed setting of the flap and thus not disturb the external surface of the appliance housing. The fastening means can be undone by a simple pull and therefore does not require any additional manipulation. A substantial advantage of loop-and-burr fastening means is that the cooperating parts which lie on one another, for example strips, of the fastening means determine the spacing of two mutually facing surfaces of the flap and the housing and form an intermediate layer therebetween, which ensures that these surfaces do not rattle against each other and generate noise. Preferably, the fastening means comprises strips arranged at surfaces, which face one another in the closed setting, of the housing and the flap. If the strips are glued to the surfaces, a particularly simple method of manufacture results. 5 For preference, the flap is centred in the closed setting even if hinged with generous play. For this purpose, the housing and the flap may be provided with interengaging means to effect such centring in the closed setting of the flap. Expediently, the interengaging means can be represented by an opening and by a pin fitting into the outline thereof. In that case, it does not manner in terms of function whether the pin is arranged at the flap or at the housing and the opening is conversely arranged at the housing or at the flap. The principal considerations in that respect are simply those of manufacture and practical manipulation.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a schematic perspective view of the lower part of. a cabinet-shaped domestic appliance embodying the invention, with an opened access flap.

Referring now to the drawing there is shown part of a domestic appliance which has a cabinet-shaped housing 5 provided in a substantially vertical wall thereof with a maintenance access flap 3.

The flap is mounted to be pivotable by way of hinges 2 at its horizontal lower edge and is used for screening a maintenance opening 1 in the housing. The front surface 4 of the housing 5 faces the inward surface 6 of the flap 3 in the closed setting of the flap 3.

3 - For centring purposes, a respective pin 7 is arranged on each of the rightha-nd and lefthand sides of the opening 1 at the front surface 4 and fits in a respective opening 8 in the inward surface 6 of the flap 3. The pins and openings thus function as centring elements.

The front surface 4 of the housing 5 is also provided, at each side of the opening 1, with a respective loop strip 9 fastened by gluing. A respective burr strip 10 able to attach thereto is glued to the surface 6 of the flap 3. Each loop strip 9 and associated burr strip 10 together form a loop-and-burr fastener. A single such fastener, or a plurality of such fasteners, can be provided.

4 -

Claims

1 A domestic appliance comprising a cabinet-shaped housing, an openable flap arranged in an upright wall of the housing and hinged to the housing at a substantially horizontal edge of the flap, and loopand-burr fastening means for holding the flap in a closed setting.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, the fastening means comprising fastener strips secured to surfaces of the housing and the flap which face each other in the closed setting of the flap.

3. An appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein the strips are glued to the surfaces.

4. An appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing and the flap are provided with interengaging means for centring the flap in the closed setting thereof.

5. An appliance as claimed in claim 4, the interengaging means comprising means defining an opening and a pin fitting into the 15 opening.

6. A domestic appliance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.