U.S. patent application number 12/600683 was filed with the patent office on 2010-07-08 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 | 20100170290 12/600683 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38320463 |
Filed Date | 2010-07-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100170290 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arzoz Barandalla; Jose Maria ;
et al. |
July 8, 2010 |
DOMESTIC APPLIANCE
Abstract
A domestic appliance with a door that has an inner wall, an
outer wall, an upper closing element and a lower closing element,
wherein the inner and outer walls and the upper and lower closing
elements delimit an inner hollow space of the door. The outer wall
forms a front plate and two side flanks that adjoin the front
plate. The two side flanks support edge bars that engage behind the
front plate. A locking element is inserted into a corner of the
inner hollow space of the door, wherein the corner is formed by one
of the two side flanks, one of the edge bars, and one of the upper
and lower closing elements.
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: |
38320463 |
Appl. No.: |
12/600683 |
Filed: |
May 14, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
May 14, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP08/55927 |
371 Date: |
November 18, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2323/024 20130101;
F25D 2201/126 20130101; F25D 23/028 20130101; Y02B 40/00 20130101;
E05Y 2900/31 20130101; Y02B 40/34 20130101; F25D 2400/18
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 007 321.6 |
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. A domestic appliance, comprising: a door having an inner wall,
an outer wall, an upper closing element and a lower closing
element, the inner and outer walls and the upper and lower closing
elements delimiting an inner hollow space of the door; a front
plate formed by the outer wall; two side flanks formed by the outer
wall and adjoining the front plate; a plurality of edge bars
supported by the two side flanks, each edge bar engaging behind the
front plate; and a locking element inserted into a corner of the
inner hollow space of the door, the corner formed by one of the two
side flanks, one of the edge bars, and one of the upper and lower
closing elements.
16. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the domestic
appliance is a refrigeration appliance.
17. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the outer wall has
a horizontal edges, wherein each of the upper and lower closing
elements carries a bar that extends along a respective one of the
horizontal edges of the outer wall, and wherein the locking
elements holds the outer wall under tension on the bar.
18. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the locking element
is joined together, in parallel direction to the front plate, with
a contour of at least one of the upper and lower closing elements
so as to form a positive fit.
19. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the locking element
has a sleeve, and wherein the contour of the at least one of the
upper and lower closing elements includes a door mounting bush to
engage the sleeve of the locking element.
20. The domestic appliance of claim 19, wherein the door mounting
bush defines an injection opening to inject insulation material
into the inner hollow space of the door.
21. The domestic appliance of claim 19, wherein the door mounting
bush comprises a vent valve to ventilate the inner hollow space of
the door.
22. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the contour of the
at least one of the upper and lower closing elements comprises ribs
that rest against the inner wall and the outer wall, and wherein
the locking element engages in-between the ribs.
23. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the locking element
is latched onto the at least one of the upper and lower closing
elements.
24. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the outer wall
comprises transverse edges; wherein the outer wall carries a ledge
angled towards the inner wall along at least one of the transverse
edges of the outer wall; wherein at least one of the upper and
lower the closing elements has a groove that is open towards an
exterior side of the door; and wherein the ledge engages into the
groove.
25. The domestic appliance of claim 24, 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.
26. The domestic appliance of claim 24, wherein the at least one of
the upper and lower closing elements has a front edge; wherein the
door has a front side; and wherein the front edge of at least one
of the upper and lower closing elements moves back behind the front
side of the door.
27. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein at least one of the
upper and lower closing elements carries two lugs that rest against
an outside of the two side flanks
28. The domestic appliance of claim 27, wherein each of the two
side flanks is fixed between the locking element and a respective
one of the two lugs.
29. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the outer wall
defines a hollow rib between a respective one of the two side edges
and a respective one of the plurality of edge bars; and wherein the
locking element has a projection that engages in a hollow space of
the hollow rib.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a door for a domestic
appliance, especially a refrigeration or freezer appliance,
comprising a door that is equipped with an outer wall, an inner
wall, an upper and a lower closing element that delimit an inner
hollow space of the door. Such a domestic appliance is known for
example from DE 103 02 797 A1 and from DE 102 59 749 A1.
[0002] When the hollow space in the door is filled with foam, the
expanding foam material exerts pressure on the walls and the
closure elements. In order to prevent said elements being driven
apart and foam escaping between them, the pressure must be
contained at least until such time as the foam has set.
Conventionally this is done by the upper and lower edges of the
outer wall each being inserted into a groove of the closing
elements, so that the rib of the closing element which delimits the
groove outwards takes up the pressure acting from within. A
consequence of this construction is that the rib always projects
beyond the outer wall. The closure element is thus clearly visible
on the finished door and where the outer wall enters into the
groove of the closing element, the rib of the door forms a small
step on which dirt can collect.
[0003] It is thus desirable both from an aesthetic standpoint and
also in respect of ease of cleaning to further develop the domestic
appliance with the door described at the start so that an escape of
foam between the outer wall and the closing element can be securely
avoided, without a rib projecting beyond the outer wall being
required on the closing element for this purpose.
[0004] The object is inventively achieved, for a domestic appliance
comprising a door that is equipped with an outer wall, an inner
wall, an upper and a lower closing element which delimit an inner
hollow space of the door, with the outer wall forming a front panel
and two side flanks adjoining the front panel and the side flanks
bearing edge bars engaging behind the front panel, by a locking
element being inserted into a corner of the inner hollow space
formed by at least one of the side flanks, one of the edge bars and
one of the closing elements. This locking element bears at least a
part of the force which acts on the outer wall during foam filling
and thus prevents a movement of the outer wall forwards away from
the closing element, also without a front rib of the closing
element enclosing the edge of the outer wall.
[0005] Instead of the outer rib, an inner rib is preferably
provided on the closing element which extends along a horizontal
edge of the outer wall. The outer wall is preferably held tensioned
by the locking element on this rib, so that no foam can penetrate
between the outer wall and the rib. In order to achieve an even
pressure force over the entire length of the rib, it is further
useful for rib and outer wall to exhibit a curvature.
[0006] An anchoring of the locking element is expediently able to
be realized by the locking element being fitted together positively
in a direction parallel to the front panel with a contour of the
closing element. A force acting during foam filling perpendicular
to the front panel cannot then dislodge the locking element from
its positive fit with the closing element.
[0007] The positive fit can expediently be made by
a--conventionally mostly present on the closing elements--door
mounting bush engaging in a sleeve of the locking element.
[0008] Such a door mounting bush can simultaneously serve as an
injection opening for injection of insulation material into the
inner hollow space of the door or it can accept a venting valve
through which air can escape when the door is being filled with
foam.
[0009] Furthermore the contour of the closing element can include
ribs resting against the outer wall and the inner wall between
which the locking element engages.
[0010] To secure the locking element in its position, above all
when it is not yet held in its position by the insulating foam
during the assembly of the door before foam filling, the locking
element can expediently be latched onto the closing element.
[0011] As a further measure to guard against the escape of foam,
the outer wall can bear a bar angled backwards towards the inner
wall along at least one of its horizontal edges, and the closing
element can feature a groove open to the outer side of the door
into which the bar engages.
[0012] In order to ensure on the one hand that the bar clamps into
the groove and on the other hand that the force required to push
the bar into the groove is not too great, the groove is expediently
wider than the bar engaging within it, and the bar is clamped by
ribs projecting from a side wall of the groove. Preferably the side
wall bearing the ribs is that side wall of the two side walls of
the groove which faces away from the foam, so that the bar rests
tightly against the foam-side side wall and performs an additional
sealing effect there.
[0013] Because the bar forms an upper or lower closure of the side
wall respectively, the option is created of letting the closing
element pass behind the front side of the door, whereby the closing
element is largely hidden from view to an observer and a front side
free of any dirt which might possibly accumulate can be
obtained.
[0014] For fixing the outer wall to the closing element it is
expedient for the closing element to bear two lugs resting against
the outside of the side flanks These prevent the side flanks from
bending away from each other when the front panel of the outer wall
is under tensile load.
[0015] Preferably the side flank is fixed between the locking
element and the lug so that it cannot deviate outwards or inwards
into the interior of the door.
[0016] To establish and maintain the tension in the outer wall, it
is last but not least advantageous for the outer wall to form a
hollow rib in each case between side flank and edge bar and for the
locking element to feature a projection engaging in the hollow
space of the rib.
[0017] Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from
the description of exemplary embodiments given below which refer to
the enclosed figures.
[0018] The figures show
[0019] FIG. 1 a perspective view of an inventive door;
[0020] FIG. 2 a perspective view of the outer wall of the door;
[0021] FIG. 3 a closing element of the door from FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 4 a section through the closing element of FIG. 3;
[0023] FIG. 5 a perspective view of a locking element;
[0024] FIG. 6 a horizontal section through the door showing the
locking element viewed from above;
[0025] FIG. 7 a section through the closing element in a sectional
plane in parallel to that of FIG. 4;
[0026] FIG. 8 a perspective view from the front of a closing
element according to a second embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 9 a perspective view from behind of the closing element
from FIG. 8;
[0028] FIG. 10 a fragmentary perspective view of the closing
element of FIG. 8, an outer wall mounted on it and a locking
element to be mounted on it, and
[0029] FIG. 11 a part section through the closing element, the
outer wall and the locking element of FIG. 10 in the assembled
state.
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an inventive door which
can serve as a door of a refrigerator or freezer appliance 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 in one piece from a sheet metal blank, an upper closing
element 2, a lower closing element 3 and an inner wall not visible
in the view shown in FIG. 1.
[0031] The outer wall 1 can be seen in FIG. 2 in a perspective view
which essentially shows the inner surface of the outer wall 1
hidden in the assembled state of the door. The outer wall is
divided into a slightly curved front panel 4, two side flanks 5
each joining the front panel 4 at the sides and two edge bars 6
projecting behind the front panel 4 from the side flanks 5 The edge
bars 6 each serve to attach the rear wall not shown in the figure.
This is cut in a manner known and therefore not described in detail
here from flat plastic material and formed by deep drawing.
[0032] The outer wall 1 forms a hollow rib 7 in each case between
the side flanks 5 and the edge bars 6.
[0033] At the upper and lower edges of the outer wall 1 a bar 8 is
angled in a horizontal direction in each case. The width of the bar
8 is respectively larger in a center section 9 than at its two ends
10.
[0034] FIG. 3 shows in the perspective of FIG. 1 the upper closure
element 2 of the door. FIG. 4 is a section through the upper
closing element 2 along a plane labeled IV-IV in FIG. 3. The
closing element 2 injection molded from plastic has a flat base
plate 11 and a second plate 12 joining this to form one piece and
in parallel to it, with the two plates together forming a groove 13
open to the front. The second plate 12 bears a plurality of ribs 14
engaging in the groove 13 essentially extending in the width
direction of the groove 13. The second plate 12 projects beyond the
front edge 15 of the base plate 11. Formed in a central area of the
second plate 12 on its front edge is a bar 16 extending vertically
downwards, slightly curved to match the curvature of the front
plate 4.
[0035] In the assembled state of the door, the groove 16 accepts
the upper of the two bars 8 of the outer wall 1, with the bar 8
being clamped between the ribs 14 and the base plate 11. When the
bar 8 is introduced correctly into the groove 13, the inner side of
the front panel 4 is supported on the bar 16. Since the bar 16
protrudes beyond the front edge 15 of the base plate, the front
panel 4 resting against the bar 16 also does this, so that an
easy-to-clean door front side free of projections or steps will be
produced.
[0036] Two angled lugs 17 projecting from the longitudinal ends of
the closing element 2 are provided in order, in the assembled state
as shown in FIG. 1, to rest against the outer side edges 5 and to
fix their position.
[0037] A vertically-oriented groove 19 extending along a rear edge
18 of the base plate 11 is provided to accept an upper edge of the
inner wall and to fix it.
[0038] Two openings 20 of the base plate visible in FIG. 3 belong
to mounting bushes 21 which are provided to rotatably accommodate a
fixed support pin on a housing carrying the door not shown in the
diagram. There are two mounting bushes 21 on each closing element
in a mirrored symmetrical arrangement in the known manner in order
to make it possible to hang the door on the housing to open to the
left or to the right.
[0039] FIG. 5 shows the perspective view of one or two blocking
elements 22 which mirror each other symmetrically, which are
provided in each case after the closure element 2 is joined to the
outer wall 1 but before the assembly of the inner wall, to be
fitted over the mounting bushes 21 of the closing element 2. The
locking elements 22 has a base 23, the shape of which is similar to
a box open on one side, with an approximately rectangular floor
plate 24 and side walls 25 through 28 meeting the edges of the
floor plate 24. In the assembled state the floor plate 24 touches
the base plate 11 of the closing element 2, the front sidewall 25
rests as an extension of the bar 16 from the inside against the
front plate 4, with a cutout 29 at the foot of the sidewall 25
accepting the second plate 12 of the closing element 2. The outer
side wall 26 rests against the inner side of one of the side flanks
5, and a part of the side wall 27 touches one of the edge bars 6. A
rib-shaped projection 30 between the side walls 26, 27 engages in
each case into one of the hollow ribs 7 of the outer wall 1. A
sleeve 31 of the closing element 22 essentially surrounds the
mounting bush 21 with no play. Ribs 32 oriented radially in
relation to the sleeve 31 connect the latter to the side walls 26,
27, 28.
[0040] The outer wall 1 and the closing element 2 can be formed so
that solely by fitting the locking elements 22 to both ends of the
closing element 2 the outer wall is placed under tension and is
held pressed against the bar 16. Because of the curvature of the
bar 16, the outer wall 1 then rests tightly over the entire length
of the bar 16 against the latter and will also not be forced away
from the bar 16 by the force acting during foam filling from inside
against the front panel 4. Such a tensile force can be established
especially easily if the mounting bush 21 and the sleeve
accommodating it 31 have a slightly conical shape. This drives the
locking element 22 further outwards and against the side flanks 5
the further it is pushed onto the mounting bush.
[0041] It is however not absolutely necessary to place the outer
wall and attention at the point at which the locking element 22 is
being attached. Even if at this point the outer wall 1 remains
under no tension, the clamping of the side flanks between the
locking elements 22 and the lugs 17 as well as the engagement of
the projections 30 into the hollow ribs 7 prevent the outer wall
yielding to the force acting from within during foam filling. If
foam still gets between the front panel 4 and the bar 16 this
cannot pass between the bar 8 and the second plate 12 so that a
foam-tight seal is still guaranteed.
[0042] A further advantage of the locking bar 22 is that it
reinforces the mounting bush 21 so that a loadable door suspension
is able to be realized even with a relatively small wall thickness
of the closing element 2.
[0043] The lower closing element 3, as indicated in FIG. 1, can be
embodied as a mirror image of the upper closing element 2. In this
case one of the four mounting bushes 21 of the closing elements 2,
3 is preferably open at its tip projecting into the hollow space of
the door in order to serve as an injection opening for a plastic
resin material which provides the foam expanding into the hollow
space. The other three mounting bushes 21 which are located at the
corners of the hollow space furthest from the injection point then
expediently provided at their tip each with a venting valve which
allows the escape of air but not of foam from the hollow space.
[0044] FIG. 6 shows a horizontal section through a part of the
door, with one of the locking elements 22 able to be seen from
above. The sleeve 31, the ribs 32 extending out from it, the walls
25 through 28 as well as the course of the wall 1 closely following
the walls 25, 26, 27 and the projection 30 can be seen in the
diagram. The lug 17 in this embodiment, unlike in the diagram shown
in FIG. 3, is extended rearwards around the hollow rib 7 and
changes into a rib 33 which forms an outer limit of the groove 19
accepting the inner wall of the door labeled 34 in this
diagram.
[0045] FIG. 7 shows a section through the closing element 2 and the
locking element 22 mounted thereon in a plane parallel to the plane
of FIG. 4. In this plane the base plate 11, a vertical wall 35
joining the base plate 11 and the second plate 12 and a wall 45
delimiting the groove 19 of the closing element 2 form a cutout
into which the base 23 of the locking element 22 engages to form a
positive fit. When the door is completely assembled and filled with
foam the locking element 22 is fixed in the cutout through the
insulating foam. An additional fixing, also effective during the
assembly of the door, is formed by an indentation or a window 36 in
the wall 35 into which a latching projection 37 at the height of
the cutout 29 formed on the locking element 22 engages. The locking
element 22, once it has been mounted on the closing element 2, is
permanently connected to the latter by this latching projection
37.
[0046] FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the closing element,
designated 2', in a perspective corresponding to that depicted in
FIG. 3; FIG. 9 shows the rear side of the closing element 2' in a
perspective corresponding to that depicted in FIG. 2. Parts of the
closing element 2' and of the closing element 2 described above
which correspond to each other are labeled with the same reference
symbols. As with the closing element 2, a base plate 11 and a
second plate 12 delimit a groove 13 open to the front, into which
ribs 14 project in order to clamp an angled bar 8 of the outer wall
1 therein.
[0047] Formed on the base plate 11 is a vertical rear wall 38.
Formed in the rear wall 38 and the base plate 11 are cutouts 39
open to the back and to the top which are provided for receiving an
arm projecting from the body of the refrigeration appliance not
shown the diagram which bears at its end a support pin engaging
into an opening 20 on the floor of the cutouts 39 in order in this
way to hide the arm from an observer standing in front of the
appliance. As with the closing element 2, the opening 20 belongs to
a mounting bush 21 projecting into the inside of the door.
[0048] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view from below of a part of the
closing element 2' with one of the cutouts 39 and the mounting
bushes 21 respectively as well as a part of the outer wall 1
attached to the closing element 2'. As described in relation to the
closing element 2, the outer wall 1 is anchored to the closing
element 2' by the bar 8 of the outer wall (hidden in FIG. 10)
engaging in the groove 13 of the closing element 2'. Compared to
the closing element 2 however a wall 45 of the closing element 2',
which delimits the groove 19 accepting the inner wall 34 (not
shown) is gripped from behind over a short distance by the edge bar
6 of the outer wall 1. It is thus not possible to assemble the
closing element 2' and the outer wall 1 by simply pushing the two
against each other horizontally and thereby the bar 8 being
inserted into the groove 13; instead, on the insertion of the bar 8
into the rib 13, the closing element 2' must be held at a slight
angle so that the edge bar 6 can pass the wall 45, and only after
passing this wall 45 will the closing element 2' be pivoted around
a horizontal axis 40 (see FIG. 8) so that an end of the edge bar 6
comes to rest against the wall 45, as shown in FIG. 10. In this way
a first provisional anchoring of the outer wall 1 on the closing
element 2' is obtained.
[0049] A definitive anchoring is obtained by a locking element 22'
shown in FIG. 10 separately from the outer wall 1 and the closing
element 2' being pushed onto the mounting bush 21 of the closing
element 2'. The structure of the locking element 22' is largely the
same as that of the locking element 22 from FIG. 5, with the
difference that with the locking element 22' two tongues 41, 42
project outwards beyond the floor plate of the base 23, in order in
the assembled state to engage in a gap between the walls of the
cutout 39 and the side edge 5 or the front plate 4 of the outer
wall 1.
[0050] FIG. 11 shows a section through the tongue 42 engaging in a
gap 43 between a wall 44 delimiting the cutout 39 and the bar 16
supporting the front plate 4. A latching projection 37 which
engages in the cutout of the bar 16 joins the locking element 22'
permanently to the closing element 2'
* * * * *