U.S. patent application number 12/600679 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-24 for domestic appliance.
This patent application is currently assigned to BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERATE GMBH. Invention is credited to Jose Maria Arzoz Barandalla, Jose Angel Beguiristain Igoa, Ander Sancho Sanchez.
Application Number | 20100154462 12/600679 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38320461 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100154462 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arzoz Barandalla; Jose Maria ;
et al. |
June 24, 2010 |
DOMESTIC APPLIANCE
Abstract
A domestic appliance including a door that has an inner wall and
an outer wall, wherein each of the inner wall and the outer wall
has longitudinal edges and transverse edges, and wherein the inner
wall is connected to the outer wall along the longitudinal edges. A
closing element is connected to a respective transverse edge of the
inner wall and/or the outer wall and has a groove that is open
towards an exterior side of the door. A ledge, which is supported
by the outer wall and arranged along at least one of the transverse
edges and which is angled towards the inner wall, is engaged in the
groove of the closing element.
Inventors: |
Arzoz Barandalla; Jose Maria;
(Pamplona, ES) ; Beguiristain Igoa; Jose Angel;
(Etxarri Aranatz, ES) ; Sancho Sanchez; Ander;
(Pamplona, ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BSH HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
100 BOSCH BOULEVARD
NEW BERN
NC
28562
US
|
Assignee: |
BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERATE
GMBH
Munich
DE
|
Family ID: |
38320461 |
Appl. No.: |
12/600679 |
Filed: |
May 14, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
May 14, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP08/55921 |
371 Date: |
November 18, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05Y 2900/31 20130101;
F25D 2323/024 20130101; F25D 2400/18 20130101; F25D 23/028
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/449 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/02 20060101
F25D023/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 23, 2007 |
DE |
20 2007 007 319.4 |
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. A domestic appliance, comprising: a door having an inner wall
and an outer wall, each of the inner wall and the outer wall having
longitudinal edges and transverse edges, the inner wall connected
to the outer wall along the longitudinal edges; at least one
closing element connected to a respective one of the transverse
edges of at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall, the
closing element having a groove that is open towards an exterior
side of the door; and a ledge supported by the outer wall and
arranged along at least one of the transverse edges, the ledge
angled towards the inner wall and engaged in the groove of the
closing element.
16. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the domestic
appliance is a refrigeration appliance.
17. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the groove is wider
than the ledge engaging into the groove; wherein the groove has a
side wall; wherein ribs protrude from the side wall; and wherein
the ledge is clamped to the ribs.
18. The domestic appliance of claim 17, wherein the outer wall
defines a front panel and two side edges of the door, and wherein
the two side edges border the front panel.
19. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the outer wall
comprises two peripheral edges to engage from the two side edges
behind the front panel.
20. The domestic appliance of claim 19, wherein the closing element
supports a wall that supports the front panel, and wherein a length
of the wall is shorter than a distance between the two peripheral
edges.
21. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the closing element
has a front edge; wherein the door has a front face; and wherein
the front edge of the closing element moves back behind the front
face of the door.
22. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the closing element
supports two tabs that abut on the outside of the two side
edges.
23. The domestic appliance of claim 15, further comprising a door
bearing bush formed on the closing element and a stiffening element
that is fitted over the door bearing bush.
24. The domestic appliance of claim 22, further comprising a
stiffening element, wherein each of the two side edges is fixed
between the stiffening element and a respective one of the two
tabs.
25. The domestic appliance of claim 19, further comprising a
stiffening element that defines a stop for one of the peripheral
edges.
26. The domestic appliance of claim 19, wherein the outer wall
defines a hollow rib between a respective one of the two side edges
and a respective one of the two peripheral edges; and wherein a
stiffening element has a projection that engages in a hollow space
of the hollow rib.
27. The domestic appliance of claim 23, wherein the stiffening
element is latched to the closing element.
28. The domestic appliance of claim 23, wherein the door bearing
bush defines an injection opening to inject insulating material
into an inner hollow space of the door.
29. The domestic appliance of claim 23, wherein the door bearing
bush comprises a vent valve to ventilate an inner hollow space of
the door.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a domestic appliance,
especially a refrigeration appliance, comprising an outer wall and
an inner wall, which are connected to one another along
longitudinal edges, and at least one closing element, which is
connected to respective transverse edges of the outer wall and the
inner wall. Such a door is known for example from DE 103 02 797 A1
and DE 102 59 749 A1.
[0002] A door of such structure can be produced simply in differing
heights, as the outer and inner wall can be cut and formed from the
same flat material in the length required for the desired
structural height of the door and an identical model of closing
element can be incorporated in doors of differing height.
[0003] One disadvantage of this known door is however that the
closing element has to project slightly over the outer wall in
order to be able to accommodate a transverse edge of the outer wall
in a groove. The closing element is therefore clearly visible on
the finished door and the surface of the door forms a small step,
where dirt can collect, where the outer wall enters the groove of
the closing element.
[0004] It is therefore desirable both from an aesthetic point of
view and also with a view to easy cleaning, to develop the door
described in the introduction so that the projection of the closing
element over the outer surface of the door is avoided or the
closing element is less evident.
[0005] According to the invention the object is achieved in that
with a domestic appliance of the type mentioned in the introduction
the outer wall of the door supports a ledge angled toward the inner
wall along at least one of the transverse edges and the closing
element has a groove open toward the exterior of the door, the
ledge engaging in said groove.
[0006] While therefore with the conventional doors described above
an edge region of the outer wall engaging in the groove of the
closing element is flush with the remainder of the outer wall, and
a groove accommodating the edge region necessarily has to have a
side wall, which projects over the outer wall, according to the
invention the fact that the angled ledge forms the edge region
engaging in the groove makes it possible for the closing element to
be moved back behind the front face, with the result that the
closing element is largely hidden from the eyes of the observer and
front face can be achieved, which is free from steps that may
accumulate dirt.
[0007] In order on the one hand to be able to clamp the ledge
firmly in the groove and on the other hand also to prevent too
large a force being required to insert the ledge into the groove,
the groove is preferably wider that the ledge engaging therein and
the ledge is clamped on ribs projecting from a side wall of the
groove.
[0008] The outer wall preferably forms a front panel and two side
edges of the door adjoining the front panel in the known
manner.
[0009] If the outer wall also comprises two peripheral ledges
engaging behind the front panel from the side edges, the length of
a wall of the closing element supporting the front panel is
preferably shorter than the distance between the peripheral ledges,
in order not to impede the insertion of the angled ledge into the
groove on the closing element.
[0010] The closing element is also preferably provided with two
tabs on the outside of the side edges to fix the outer wall.
[0011] A stiffening element is expediently fitted over a door
bearing bush formed on the closing element. The stiffening element
can help to fix the outer wall in a different manner. Thus on the
one hand the side edge of the outer wall can be fixed between the
stiffening element and the tab. On the other hand the stiffening
element can also form a stop, against which one of the side edges
respectively rests.
[0012] To fix the outer wall it is particularly preferable for said
outer wall to form a hollow rib in each instance between the side
edge and the peripheral ledge and for the stiffening element to
have a protrusion engaging in the hollow space of the rib.
[0013] To simplify the assembly of the door, the stiffening element
is preferably latched to the closing element.
[0014] The door bearing bush can serve as an injection opening for
injecting insulating material into a hollow inner space in the
door.
[0015] Alternatively a vent valve can be accommodated in the door
bearing bush to vent a hollow inner space in the door.
[0016] In practice a number of door bearing bushes are generally
present on a door, so that one can expediently serve as an
injection opening and the others are provided with a vent
valve.
[0017] Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge
from the following description of exemplary embodiments with
reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an inventive door;
[0019] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the outer wall of the
door;
[0020] FIG. 3 shows a closing element of the door from FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 4 shows a section through the closing element from FIG.
3;
[0022] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a stiffening element;
[0023] FIG. 6 shows a horizontal section through the door, showing
the stiffening element from above;
[0024] FIG. 7 shows a section through the closing element in a
sectional plane parallel to the one in FIG. 4;
[0025] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view from the front of a closing
element according to a second embodiment;
[0026] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view from behind of the closing
element from FIG. 8;
[0027] FIG. 10 shows a fragmented perspective view of the closing
element from FIG. 8, an outer wall mounted thereon and a stiffening
element to be mounted thereon, and
[0028] FIG. 11 shows a partial section through the closing element,
the outer wall and the stiffening element from FIG. 10 in the
assembled state.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an inventive door, which
can serve as the door of a refrigerator or freezer or as one of a
number of doors of a combination refrigeration appliance. In the
known manner the door comprises an outer wall 1, which is formed as
a single piece from sheet metal that has been cut to size, an upper
closing element 2, a lower closing element 3 and an inner wall that
is not visible in the view in FIG. 1.
[0030] The outer wall 1 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 2,
essentially showing the inner face of the outer wall 1, which is
concealed when the door is mounted. The outer wall is made up of a
slightly curved front panel 4, two side edges 5, each connected to
the sides of the front panel 4, and two peripheral ledges 6
engaging behind the front panel 4 from the side edges 5. The
peripheral ledges 6 serve respectively to secure the rear wall (not
shown here). This is cut to size in the known manner, which is
therefore not described in detail here, from flat plastic material
and formed by deep drawing.
[0031] The outer wall 1 forms a hollow rib 7 in each instance
between the side edges 5 and the peripheral ledges 6.
[0032] A ledge 8 is angled in a horizontal direction on the upper
and lower edges of the outer wall 1 respectively. In each instance
the width of the ledge 8 is greater in a center section 9 that at
its two ends 10.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows the upper closing element 2 of the door in the
perspective from FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a section through the upper
closing element 2 along a plane identified as IV-IV in FIG. 3. The
closing element 2, which is injection molded from plastic, has a
flat base plate 11 and a second plate 12, which is joined together
with this as a single piece and parallel to it, together limiting a
groove 13 that is open to the front. The second plate 12 holds a
number of ribs 14 that engage in the groove 13 and extend
essentially in the direction of the depth of the groove 13. The
second plate 12 projects over a front edge 15 of the base plate 11.
In a center region of the second plate 12 a wall 16 is formed on
its front edge, extending vertically downward.
[0034] When the door is fully mounted, the groove 13 holds the
upper of the two ledges 8 of the outer wall 1, the ledge 8 being
clamped between the ribs 14 and the base plate 11. When the ledge 8
is inserted correctly into the groove 13, the interior of the front
panel 4 is supported on the wall 16. As the wall 16 projects over
the front edge 15 of the base plate 11, the front panel 4 resting
on the wall 16 does the same, thereby resulting in a door front
face that is free from projections or steps and is easy to
clean.
[0035] Two angled tabs 17, projecting at the longitudinal ends of
the closing element 2, are provided, to rest on the outside of the
side edges 6 and fix them in position in the assembled state as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0036] A vertically oriented groove 19 extending along a rear edge
18 of the base plate 11 is provided, to hold and fix an upper edge
of the inner wall.
[0037] Two openings 20 of the base plate shown in FIG. 3 belong to
bearing bushes 21, which are provided to hold a fixed trunnion (not
shown) on a housing supporting the door in a rotatable manner. The
bearing bushes 21 are present in duplicate in a mirror-symmetrical
arrangement in the known manner on each closing element, to allow
the door to be mounted optionally on the left or right of the
housing.
[0038] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of one of two
mirror-symmetrical stiffening elements 22, which are provided to be
fitted over the bearing bushes 21 of the closing element after the
closing element 2 has been joined to the outer wall 1 but before
the assembly of the inner wall. The stiffening element 22 has a
base 23, the shape of which resembles a box that is open on one
side, with a roughly square bottom plate 24 and side walls 25 to 28
connected to the edges of the bottom plate 24. In the assembled
state the bottom plate 24 touches the base plate 11 of the closing
element 2, the front side wall 25 lies very close to the front
panel 4 as an extension of the wall 16 from inside, with a cutout
29 at the foot of the side wall 25 holding the second plate 12 of
the closing element 2. The outer side wall 26 rests on the inside
of one of the side edges 5 and part of the side wall 27 touches one
of the peripheral ledges 6. A rib-shaped protrusion 30 between the
side walls 26, 27 engages respectively 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 in an essentially play-free manner.
Ribs 32 that are oriented radially in relation to the sleeve 31
connect said sleeve 31 to the side walls 26, 27, 28.
[0039] Attaching the stiffening element 22 on the one hand
strengthens the bearing bush 21 so that a loadable door suspension
can be achieved even with a relatively small wall thickness of the
closing element 2 but the particular benefit of the stiffening
element 22 is the form-fit fixing of the front panel 4. Because the
stiffening element 22 engages with a form fit between the front
panel 4 and the peripheral ledges 6, it prevents the front panel 4
moving forward when the hollow space formed by the outer wall 1,
inner wall and closing elements 2, 3 is filled with foam, thereby
losing its hold in the groove 13.
[0040] The lower closing element 3 can be embodied as a mirror
image of the upper closing element 2, as shown in FIG. 1. One of
the four bearing bushes 21 of the closing elements 2, 3 is then
preferably open at its tip projecting into the hollow space of the
door, to serve as an injection opening for a synthetic resin
material, which is allowed to expand in the hollow space, in order
finally to obtain a foam that completely fills the hollow space.
The other three bearing bushes 21, which are at the corners of the
interior furthest from the injection point, are then each
expediently provided with a vent valve at their tip, to allow air
but not foam to escape from the hollow space.
[0041] FIG. 6 shows a horizontal section through a part of the
door, with one of the stiffening elements 22 visible from above. It
shows the sleeve 31, the ribs 32 extending from it, the walls 25 to
28 and the course of the outer wall 1 close to the walls 25, 26, 27
and the protrusion 30. In this embodiment, unlike the diagram in
FIG. 3, the tab 17 is extended to the rear around the hollow rib 7
and becomes a rib 33, which forms an outer limit of the groove 19
holding the inner wall, shown here as 34, of the door.
[0042] FIG. 7 shows a section through the closing element 2 and the
stiffening element 22 mounted thereon in a plane parallel to the
plane in FIG. 4. In this plane a cutout 36 is formed in a vertical
wall 35 of the closing element 2 connecting the base plate 11 to
the second plate 12, in which cutout 36 a latching protrusion 37
formed on the stiffening element 22 at the level of the cutout 29
engages. The latching protrusion 37 connects the stiffening element
22 to the closing element 2 in a non-detachable manner once it is
mounted on it.
[0043] FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the closing element
marked 2', in a perspective corresponding to the one in FIG. 3;
FIG. 9 shows the rear face of the closing element 2' in a
perspective corresponding to the one in FIG. 2. Corresponding parts
of this closing element 2' and the closing element 2 described
above are shown with the same reference characters. As with the
closing element 2 a base plate 11 and a second plate 12 limit a
groove 13 that is open to the front and into which ribs 14
protrude, in order to clamp an angled away ledge 8 of the outer
wall 1 therein.
[0044] A vertical rear wall 38 is formed on the base plate 11.
Recesses 39 that are open to the rear and upward are formed in the
rear wall 38 and the base plate 11, to hold an arm (not shown) that
projects from the body of the refrigeration appliance and has at
its end a bearing pin engaging in an opening 20 on the bottom of
the recess 39, thereby concealing the arm from the view of an
observer standing in front of the appliance. As with the closing
element 2, the opening 20 belongs to a bearing bush 21 protruding
into the interior of the door.
[0045] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view from below of a part of the
closing element 2' with one of the recesses 39 and the bearing
bushes 21 and a part of the outer wall 1 secured to the closing
element 2' respectively. As described with reference to the closing
element 2, the outer wall 1 is anchored to the closing element 2',
in that the ledge 8 (covered in FIG. 10) of the outer wall 1
engages in the groove 13 of the closing element 2'. Unlike the
closing element 2, here the peripheral ledge 6 of the outer wall 1
engages behind a wall 45 of the closing element 2', which limits
the groove 19 holding the inner wall 34 (not shown), over a short
distance. It is therefore not possible to join the closing element
2' and the outer wall 1 by simply pushing the two horizontally
toward each other, thereby inserting the ledge 8 into the groove
13; instead, when the ledge 8 is inserted into the rib 13, the
closing element 2' must be held at something of an angle, so that
the peripheral ledge 6 can pass the wall 45 and only after passing
said wall 45 is the closing element 2' swiveled about a horizontal
axis 40 (see FIG. 8) so that one end of the peripheral ledge 6
comes to rest on the wall 45, as shown in FIG. 10. This allows a
first, tentative anchoring of the outer wall 1 to the closing
element 2' to be achieved.
[0046] A final anchoring is achieved in that a stiffening element
22' shown separated from the outer wall 1 and the closing element
2' in FIG. 10 is pushed onto the bearing bush 21 of the closing
element 2'. The structure of the stiffening element 22' is largely
similar to that of the stiffening element 22 from FIG. 5, with the
difference that in the case of the stiffening element 22 two
tongues 41, 42 project over the bottom plate of the base 23, in
order to engage respectively in a gap between the walls of the
recess 39 and the side edge 5 or the front panel 4 of the outer
wall 1 in the assembled state.
[0047] FIG. 11 shows a section through the tongue 42 engaging in a
gap 43 between a wall 44 limiting the cutout 39 and the wall 16
supporting the front panel 4. A latching protrusion 37, which
engages in a cutout in the wall 16, causes the stiffening element
22' to be connected in a non-detachable manner to the closing
element 2'.
* * * * *