WO2008141994A2

WO2008141994A2 - Domestic appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2008141994A2
Application number: PCT/EP2008/055921
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jose Maria Arzoz Barandalla; Jose Angel Beguiristain Igoa; Ander Sancho Sanchez
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2007-05-23
Filing date: 2008-05-14
Publication date: 2008-11-27
Also published as: DE202007007319U1; EP2153148B1; WO2008141994A3; RU2009145635A; CN101680702A; US20100154462A1; RU2467265C2; CN101680702B; EP2153148A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a domestic appliance, especially a refrigeration appliance comprising a door having an outer wall (1) and an inner wall (34) that are interconnected along longitudinal edges, and at least one closing element (2, 3; 2') which is connected to respective transverse edges of the outer wall (1) and the inner wall (34). The invention is characterized in that the outer wall (1) carries a ledge (8) bent towards the inner wall (34) along at least one of the transverse edges and that the closing element (2; 2') has a groove (13) open toward the exterior of the door, the ledge (8) engaging with said groove.

Description

household appliance

The present invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a refrigerator, with an outer wall and an inner wall, which are connected to each other along longitudinal edges, and at least one end element, which is respectively connected to a transverse edge of the outer wall or the inner wall. Such a door is known for example from DE 103 02 797 A1 and DE 102 59 749 A1.

A door of this type is easily manufactured at different heights, since outer and inner walls of the same flat material can be cut and shaped in a length required for a desired height of the door, and a same model of the closing element in doors of different heights can be installed.

A disadvantage of this known door, however, is that the end element, in order to be able to receive a transverse edge of the outer wall in a groove, has to project slightly beyond the outer wall. The closing element is therefore clearly visible on the finished door, and where the outer wall enters the groove of the closing element, the surface of the door forms a small step where dirt can accumulate.

It is therefore desirable both from an aesthetic point of view as well as with regard to ease of cleaning to further develop the door described above so that a protrusion of the closing element over the outer surface of the door avoided or the end element is less noticeable.

The object is achieved in that in a household appliance of the type mentioned, the outer wall of the door along at least one of the transverse edges carries an angled towards the inner wall web and that the closing element has an open towards the outside of the door groove into which engages the web , Thus, in the case of the above-described conventional doors, an edge region of the outer wall engaging in the groove of the closing element is flush with the rest of the outer wall, and a groove receiving the edge region must inevitably have a side wall projecting beyond the outer wall, according to the invention Angled web forms the engaging in the groove edge region, created the possibility to let the closing element behind the front page to withdraw, whereby the closing element is largely hidden from the eyes of a viewer and can be obtained from any dirt collecting steps free front.

On the one hand to be able to clamp the web in the groove, but on the other hand to prevent an excessively high force is required to insert the web into the groove, the groove is preferably wider than the web engaging therein, and the web is of a Side wall of the groove protruding ribs clamped.

In known manner, preferably the outer wall forms a front panel and two adjacent to the front panel side edges of the door.

Furthermore, if the outer wall further comprises two edge webs engaging behind the front plate from the side flanks, the length of a wall of the end element supporting the front plate is preferably smaller than the spacing of the edge webs from each other so as not to introduce the angled web into the groove of the end element hinder.

The closing element is further provided for fixing the outer wall, preferably with two adjacent to the side edges flaps.

A formed on the closing element door bearing bush is expediently slipped over a stiffening element. The stiffening element can contribute in different ways to fix the outer wall. Thus, on the one hand, the side edge of the outer wall between the stiffening element and the tab can be fixed. On the other hand, the stiffening element may form a stop against which one of the side flanks abuts. For fixing the outer wall, it is particularly preferred that it forms a hollow rib between the side flank and the edge web, and that the stiffening element has a projection engaging in the cavity of the rib.

In order to simplify the assembly of the door, the stiffening element is preferably latched to the end element.

The door bearing bush may serve as an injection port for injecting insulation material into an inner cavity of the door.

Alternatively, a vent valve for venting an internal cavity of the door can be accommodated in the door bearing bush.

In practice, several door bearing bushings are generally present on a door, so that expediently one can serve as an injection opening and the others are provided with a venting valve.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a door according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the door;

FIG. 3 shows a closing element of the door from FIG. 1; FIG.

4 shows a section through the closure element of Fig. 3.

5 is a perspective view of a stiffening element;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the door, showing the stiffening element in a plan view; FIG. 7 shows a section through the closing element in a sectional plane parallel to that of FIG. 4; FIG.

8 shows a perspective view from the front of a closure element according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the end member of FIG. 8; FIG.

10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end member of FIG. 8, an outer wall mounted thereon and a stiffening member to be mounted thereon, and FIG

Fig. 11 is a partial section through the end element, the outer wall and the stiffening element of FIG. 10 in the assembled state.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a door according to the invention, which can serve as a door of a refrigerator or freezer or as one of several doors of a combination refrigerator. The door comprises, in a manner known per se, an outer wall 1, which is integrally formed from a sheet metal blank, an upper end element 2, a lower end element 3 and an inner wall which is not visible in the view of FIG.

The outer wall 1 can be seen in a perspective view in FIG. 2, which essentially shows the inner surface of the outer wall 1 hidden in the mounted state of the door. The outer wall is articulated in a slightly cambered front panel 4, two laterally adjoining the front panel 4 side edges 5 and two of the side edges 5 of the front panel 4 engaging behind edge webs 6. The edge webs 6 are each used to attach the rear wall, not shown. This is cut in a known per se and therefore not described in detail here manner of plastic sheet and formed by deep drawing.

Between the side edges 5 and the edge webs 6, the outer wall 1 forms a respective hollow rib. 7 At the upper and lower edges of the outer wall 1, a web 8 is angled in the horizontal direction in each case. The width of the web 8 is larger in each case in a central portion 9 than at its two ends 10.

Fig. 3 shows in the perspective of Fig. 1, the upper end element 2 of the door. Fig. 4 is a section through the upper end member 2 along a in Fig. 3 with IV-IV designated plane. The injection-molded plastic end member 2 has a flat base plate 11 and a one-piece connected thereto and parallel to it second plate 12, which together defines a groove 13 open towards the front. The second plate 12 carries a plurality of engaging in the groove 13, extending substantially in the depth direction of the groove 13 ribs 14. The second plate 12 is above a front edge 15 of the base plate 1 1 via. In a central region of the second plate 12, a vertically downwardly extending wall 16 is integrally formed on the front edge thereof.

The groove 13 takes in the finished assembled state of the door on the upper of the two webs 8 of the outer wall 1, wherein the web 8 between the ribs 14 and the base plate 1 1 is clamped. When the web 8 is properly inserted into the groove 13, the inside of the face plate 4 is supported on the wall 16. Since the wall 16 projects beyond the front edge 15 of the base plate 11, the front plate 4 resting against the wall 16 also does so, so that a door front which is easy to clean and free of protrusions or steps is obtained.

Two projecting at the longitudinal ends of the end element 2, angled lugs 17 are provided to abut in the assembled state as shown in Fig. 1 outside of the side edges 5 and to fix their position.

A vertically oriented groove 19 extending along a rear edge 18 of the base plate 11 is provided to receive and fix an upper edge of the inner wall.

Two visible in the Fig. 3 openings 20 of the base plate belonging to bearing bushes 21, which are provided to rotatably receive a non-illustrated, on a door-bearing housing fixed bearing pin. The bushings 21 are in itself known manner to each end element in mirror-symmetrical arrangement twice available to allow mounting of the door to the housing with either left or right stop.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of one of two mutually mirror-symmetrical stiffening elements 22 which are provided to be slipped over the bearing bushes 21 of the end element 2 in each case after the joining of the end element 2 with the outer wall 1, but before the assembly of the inner wall. The stiffening element 22 has a base 23 whose shape is similar to a box open on one side, with an approximately quadrangular bottom plate 24 and the edges of the bottom plate 24 adjoining side walls 25 to 28. In the assembled state, the bottom plate 24 contacts the base plate 1 1 of the end element. 2 , the front side wall 25 nestles in extension of the wall 16 from the inside to the front panel 4, wherein a recess 29 at the foot of the side wall 25, the second plate 12 of the end element 2 receives. The outer side wall 26 abuts against the inside of one of the side flanks 5, and a part of the side wall 27 contacts one of the edge webs 6. A rib-shaped projection 30 between the side walls 26, 27 engages in each case in one of the hollow ribs 7 of the outer wall 1. A sleeve 31 of the stiffening element 22 encloses the bearing bush 21 essentially without play. In relation to the sleeve 31, radially oriented ribs 32 connect them to the side walls 26, 27, 28.

By attaching the stiffening element 22, on the one hand, the bearing bush 21 is reinforced, so that a resilient door suspension can be realized even with a relatively small wall thickness of the end element 2, the special benefit of the stiffening element 22, however, lies in the positive fixing of the front panel 4. By the stiffening element 22nd positively engages between the front panel 4 and the edge webs 6, it prevents the front panel 4 from it to evade during foaming of the cavity formed by the outer wall 1, inner wall and end members 2, 3 while losing the grip in the groove 13.

The lower end element 3 can, as indicated in FIG. 1, be formed in mirror image to the upper end element 2. In this case, preferably, one of the four bushings 21 of the end members 2, 3 is open at its tip projecting into the cavity of the door to serve as an injection port for a synthetic resin material, which is allowed to expand in the cavity to finally obtain a cavity completely filling the foam. The other three bushings 21, which are located at the furthest from the injection point corners of the interior, are then conveniently provided at their tip with a vent valve, which allows the escape of air, but not foam, from the cavity.

Fig. 6 shows a horizontal section through a part of the door, wherein one of the stiffening elements 22 can be seen in plan view. It can be seen the sleeve 31, the outgoing from her ribs 32, the walls 25 to 28 and the closely to the walls 25, 26, 27 and the projection 30 fitted course of the outer wall 1. The tab 17 is in this embodiment, deviating from the Representation of Fig. 3, extended rearwardly around the hollow rib 7 around and merges into a rib 33, which forms an outer boundary of the 34 here designated inner wall of the door receiving groove 19.

FIG. 7 shows a section through the closing element 2 and the stiffening element 22 mounted thereon in a plane parallel to the plane of FIG. 4. In this plane, a recess 36 is formed in a vertical wall 35 of the end element 2 connecting the base plate 11 to the second plate 12, into which recess a catch projection 37 formed at the level of the recess 29 on the stiffening element 22 engages. By this latching projection 37, the stiffening element 22, once it is mounted on the end element 2, inextricably connected thereto.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the terminating element, designated by 2 ', in a perspective corresponding to FIG. 3; FIG. 9 shows the rear side of the closing element 2 'in a perspective corresponding to FIG. 2. Corresponding parts of this end element 2 'and the closure element 2 described above are provided with the same reference numerals. As with the end member 2, a base plate 11 and a second plate 12 define a forwardly open groove 13 into which ribs 14 protrude to clamp an angled web 8 of the outer wall 1 therein. On the base plate 11, a vertical rear wall 38 is integrally formed. In the rear wall 38 and the base plate 1 1 rearwardly and upwardly open recesses 39 are formed, which are provided to receive a not shown, projecting from the body of the refrigerator arm, at its end in an opening 20 at the bottom of the recess 39 bearing bearing pin carries, and to hide the arm in front of the eyes of the viewer in front of the device. As with the end element 2, the opening 20 belongs to a bearing bushing 21 projecting into the interior of the door.

10 shows a perspective view from below of a part of the closing element 2 'with in each case one of the recesses 39 and the bearing bushes 21 and a part of the outer wall 1 fastened to the closing element 2'. As described with reference to the closing element 2, the outer wall is 1 to the end element 2 'anchored by the (8 hidden in Fig. 10) web 8 of the outer wall 1 engages in the groove 13 of the end element 2'. In contrast to the end element 2, however, a wall 45 of the end element 2 ', which bounds the inner wall 34 (not shown) receiving groove 19, engages behind a short piece of the edge web 6 of the outer wall 1. It is therefore not possible, the final element 2 'and the outer wall 1 put together by only both pushed horizontally against each other while the web 8 is inserted into the groove 13; instead, when inserting the web 8 into the rib 13, the end element 2 'must be held somewhat obliquely, so that the edge web 6 can pass through the wall 45, and only after passing through this wall 45 is the end element 2' about a horizontal axis 40 (see FIG Fig. 8) pivoted, so that one end of the edge web 6 on the wall 45 comes to rest, as shown in Fig. 10. In this way, a first, provisional anchoring of the outer wall 1 to the end element 2 'is obtained.

A definitive anchoring is obtained by a stiffening element 22 ', which is shown separated from the outer wall 1 and the end element 2' in FIG. 10, is pushed onto the bearing bush 21 of the end element 2 '. The structure of the stiffening element 22 'is substantially similar to that of the stiffening element 22 of FIG. 5, with the difference that in the stiffening element 22 two tongues 41, 42 protrude beyond the bottom plate of the base 23 to each in the assembled state in a gap between the Walls of the recess 39 and the side edge 5 and the front panel 4 of the outer wall 1 intervene. Fig. 11 shows a section through the tongue 42 engaging in a gap 43 between a recess 39 delimiting wall 44 and the front plate 4 supporting wall 16. By a latching projection 37 which engages in a recess of the wall 16, the stiffening element 22nd 'permanently connected to the end element 2'.

Claims

claims

1. Household appliance in particular refrigerator with a door having an outer wall (1) and an inner wall (34) which are interconnected along longitudinal edges, and at least one end element (2, 3, 2 '), each with a transverse edge of The outer wall (1) or the inner wall (34) are connected, characterized in that the outer wall (1) along at least one of the transverse edges to the inner wall (34) towards angled web (8) carries, and that the closing element (2 ') has an open towards the outside of the door groove (13) into which engages the web (8).

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove (13) is wider than the web engaging therein (8) and that the web (8) is clamped on by a side wall (12) of the groove projecting ribs (14).

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer wall (1) forms a front plate (4) and two on the front panel (4) adjacent side edges (5) of the door.

4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the outer wall (1) further comprises two of the side edges (5) of the front plate (4) engaging behind edge webs (6).

5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the end element (2, 2 ') carries a front plate (4) supporting wall (16) whose length is smaller than the distance of the edge webs (6) from each other.

6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that a front edge (15) of the end element (2) springs back behind the front side of the door.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the

End element (2, 2 ') carries two outside on the side edges (5) adjacent tabs (17).

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one on the closure element (2, 2 ') shaped

Door bearing bush (21) a stiffening element (22) is slipped over.

9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7 and claim 8, characterized in that the side edge (5) between the stiffening element (22) and the tab (17) is fixed.

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4 and claim 8, characterized in that the stiffening element (22) forms a stop for one of the edge webs (6).

1 1. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4 and claim 8, characterized in that the outer wall (1) between the side edge (5) and edge web (6) each forms a hollow rib (7) and that the stiffening element (22) into the cavity of the Rib (7) engaging projection (30).

12. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the stiffening element (22) on the closure element (2, 2 ') is locked.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the door bearing bush (21) serves as an injection port for injecting insulation material into an inner cavity of the door.

14. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that in the door bearing bush (21) a vent valve for venting an inner cavity of the door is housed.