U.S. patent application number 15/716564 was filed with the patent office on 2018-03-29 for domestic refrigerator having a locally thermally insulated outer enclosure of an ice-maker and method for producing a domestic refrigerator.
The applicant listed for this patent is BSH HAUSGERAETE GMBH. Invention is credited to PRASHANTAGOUDA HOSAMANI, HANS GERD KELLER, ROBERT STAHL.
Application Number | 20180087826 15/716564 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61563902 |
Filed Date | 2018-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180087826 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HOSAMANI; PRASHANTAGOUDA ;
et al. |
March 29, 2018 |
DOMESTIC REFRIGERATOR HAVING A LOCALLY THERMALLY INSULATED OUTER
ENCLOSURE OF AN ICE-MAKER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DOMESTIC
REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
A domestic refrigerator has a housing in which is formed at
least one food storage compartment, which is bounded by walls of a
liner. An ice-maker has an outer enclosure that is separate from
the liner and inserted in an insertion region of the liner. The
outer enclosure of the ice-maker has at least one wall region with
an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart therefrom. At least
portions of an interspace between the inner wall and the outer wall
contain a thermally insulating material. There is also described a
method for producing a domestic refrigerator.
Inventors: |
HOSAMANI; PRASHANTAGOUDA;
(ULM, DE) ; STAHL; ROBERT; (HERBRECHTINGEN,
DE) ; KELLER; HANS GERD; (GIENGEN, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BSH HAUSGERAETE GMBH |
MUENCHEN |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
61563902 |
Appl. No.: |
15/716564 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 5/22 20180101; F25D
2201/10 20130101; F25D 23/069 20130101; F25D 11/02 20130101; F25C
5/182 20130101; F25D 23/066 20130101; F25D 23/062 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/06 20060101
F25D023/06; F25C 5/18 20060101 F25C005/18; F25D 11/02 20060101
F25D011/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 28, 2016 |
DE |
10 2016 218 646.9 |
Claims
1. A domestic refrigerator, comprising: a housing formed with at
least one food storage compartment, which is bounded by walls of a
liner; an ice-maker having an outer enclosure separate from said
liner and inserted in said liner; said outer enclosure of said
ice-maker having at least one wall region that includes an inner
wall and an outer wall spaced apart from said inner wall and
forming an interspace therewith; and thermally insulating material
disposed in at least portions of said interspace between said inner
wall and said outer wall is disposed a thermally insulating
material.
2. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said
ice-maker is inserted into an insertion region of said liner.
3. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said at
least one wall region includes a first wall region being a floor of
said outer enclosure.
4. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein said at
least one wall region includes a second wall region being a side
wall of said outer enclosure.
5. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein said
first and second wall regions merge into each other and form a
common L-shaped total wall region.
6. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said
inner wall and said outer wall are separate pieces.
7. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 6, which comprises
a first strip-shaped connecting piece formed on an edge of said
inner wall that faces said outer wall, said first strip-shaped
connecting piece being in planar contact with and overlapping a
second connecting piece formed on said outer wall.
8. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein said
second strip-shaped connecting piece is formed on an edge of said
outer wall that faces said inner wall.
9. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least
one additional wall region of said outer enclosure that faces away
from said storage compartment has only a single-wall
construction.
10. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein said at
least one additional wall region is a side wall of said outer
enclosure that faces away from said storage compartment, and/or
said at least one additional wall region is a top wall of said
outer enclosure that faces away from said storage compartment.
11. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said
outer enclosure has an enclosure element directly bordering an
interior volume of said outer enclosure, and wherein said enclosure
element is formed from a plurality of separate single parts.
12. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said
outer wall is formed from a single piece and has an L-shaped
design.
13. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said
outer wall has stiffening members.
14. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein said
stiffening members are integrally formed on an inner face that
faces said inner wall.
15. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said
inner wall is composed of at least two separate wall pieces, which
are joined to one another at an interlocking joint.
16. The domestic refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein said
separate wall pieces are plug-fitted to one another at a
junction.
17. A method for producing a domestic refrigerator, the
refrigerator having an ice-maker with an outer enclosure disposed
in a liner, the liner bounding a food storage compartment of the
refrigerator and being separate from the outer enclosure; the
method comprising: forming the outer enclosure of the ice-maker
with at least one wall region that has an inner wall and an outer
wall spaced apart therefrom, the inner and outer walls being
disposed to form an interspace therebetween; filling at least
portions of the interspace with a thermally insulating material
prior to fitting the outer enclosure into the liner.
18. The method according to claim 17, which comprises providing the
liner with an insertion region and inserting the outer enclosure in
the insertion region.
19. The method according to claim 18, which comprises inserting and
fitting a pre-assembly module formed after filling the interspace
with the thermally insulating material into the insertion region of
the liner.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119, of German patent application DE 10 2016 218 646.9, filed Sep.
28, 2016; the prior application is herewith incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a domestic refrigerator having a
housing in which is formed at least one food storage compartment.
The storage compartment is bounded by walls of a liner of the
domestic refrigerator. The domestic refrigerator also comprises an
ice-maker. The ice-maker has an outer enclosure, which is separate
from the liner and is inserted in an insertion region of the liner.
In addition, the invention also relates to a method for producing a
domestic refrigerator.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,620 B2, for example, discloses a
domestic refrigerator of the type.
[0004] It is necessary particularly for domestic refrigerators in
which the ice-maker is disposed in a storage compartment designed
to be a chill compartment that this ice-maker is also suitably
thermally insulated with respect to this chill compartment, in
which higher temperatures are then established. The liner, the
walls of which bound this storage compartment, is usually produced
in a deep-drawing process. The outer contour of the outer enclosure
of the ice-maker is also produced, for example, in a suitable
forming process. This can result in the material thicknesses of the
liner and/or even of the outer enclosure of the ice-maker being
relatively thin at specific points, and therefore relatively low
forces acting here may possibly cause unwanted deformations or
other damage to the components.
[0005] For such ice-makers disposed in the chill compartment of the
domestic refrigerator, it is known in the prior art to use for
thermally insulating the ice-maker from the chill compartment an
insulating foam, which is also introduced for thermal insulation
between the liner and an outer shell of the housing. As a result of
the usually very narrow regions between the outer enclosure of the
ice-maker and the liner, it is difficult to introduce the thermal
insulation foam there. Especially in the foaming processes which
then take place, in which the outer enclosure of the ice-maker is
already fitted at the insertion region of the liner, and this
thermal insulation foam is meant to be introduced subsequently into
the interspace between the liner and the outer shell and also into
the interspace between the outer enclosure of the ice-maker and the
liner of the domestic refrigerator, this means that precisely these
regions between the outer enclosure of the ice-maker and the liner
cannot be filled with sufficient material and hence the thermal
insulation also only is inadequately effective.
[0006] European published patent application EP 2 650 628 A2
discloses a domestic refrigerator in which an enclosure of an
ice-maker, which enclosure has an open side, is disposed in an
insertion region of a liner. Again in this case, the outer
enclosure, which is extensively single-walled, is thermally
insulated from the storage compartment in a manner that requires
thermally insulating material to be introduced between the outer
enclosure and a wall of the liner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a
refrigerator and a production method which overcome the
above-mentioned and other disadvantages of the heretofore-known
devices and methods of this general type and which, or by means of
which, the thermal insulation between the ice-maker and the liner
is improved.
[0008] With the above and other objects in view there is provided,
in accordance with the invention, a domestic refrigerator,
comprising:
[0009] a housing formed with at least one food storage compartment,
which is bounded by walls of a liner;
[0010] an ice-maker having an outer enclosure separate from the
liner and inserted in the liner;
[0011] the outer enclosure of the ice-maker having at least one
wall region that includes an inner wall and an outer wall spaced
apart from the inner wall and forming an interspace therewith;
and
[0012] a thermally insulating material disposed in at least
portions of the interspace between the inner wall and the outer
wall is disposed a thermally insulating material.
[0013] In other words, the domestic refrigerator according to the
invention comprises a housing in which is formed at least one food
storage compartment. The storage compartment is bounded by walls of
a liner of the domestic refrigerator. The domestic refrigerator
also comprises an ice-maker, which is disposed in particular
outside the storage compartment.
[0014] The ice-maker may be disposed in an alcove or a recess or an
insertion region of a liner, the walls of which bound the storage
compartment. The liner preferably comprises a hole or aperture
through which the ice-maker extends by its outer enclosure or
against which it rests by its rear face. The ice-maker is
accessible from the front so that it is accessible only when a door
that closes the storage compartment is open. The ice-maker
comprises this front cover, which is a front viewing component and
constitutes a wall by means of which the ice-maker is thermally
insulated also preferably with respect to the storage compartment.
The ice-maker is disposed at least such that a wall region, namely
the cover, of the ice-maker, borders the storage compartment
directly. In particular, a storage container of the ice-maker is
provided, the front wall of which forms this wall region that
directly borders the storage compartment. This front wall is
accessible in particular only via a front loading aperture of the
storage compartment. In particular, said ice-maker is disposed
solely by this front wall in the storage compartment and is
otherwise disposed outside the storage compartment.
[0015] The ice-maker comprises an outer enclosure, which is
separate from the liner and is inserted or disposed in the liner,
preferably in an insertion region of the liner. A primarily
important concept of the invention can be considered to be that the
outer enclosure of the ice-maker has at least one wall region that
comprises an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart therefrom.
This wall region, which borders in part the volume of the outer
enclosure and hence the interior of the outer enclosure, thus has a
double-wall construction. In at least portions of an interspace
between this inner wall and the outer wall of this wall region is
introduced or disposed a thermally insulating material. This
embodiment of the outer enclosure thus already thermally insulates
the outer enclosure itself locally such that with this outer
enclosure disposed in the liner or in the insertion region of the
liner, there is an improved thermal insulation between the
ice-maker and the storage compartment. Thus it is no longer
necessary to introduce, or fully introduce, thermally insulating
material between the outer enclosure of the ice-maker and the
liner, as would be necessary in the prior art. By virtue of this
construction, which is double-walled at least in parts, and the
thermally insulating material that then exists at this wall region,
the outer enclosure itself is already inherently designed to be
suitably thermally insulated. Thus the invention means it is also
possible that the outer enclosure itself initially is in the form
of a separate installation module that has a suitable local
thermally insulated design and can then be inserted subsequently
into the liner or the insertion region of the liner. Thus in
addition to an improved thermal insulation effect, this also
improves manufacture and the procedure for fitting the ice-maker in
the domestic refrigerator and subsequent foaming processes, in
which thermally insulating material is introduced between the liner
and an outer shell of the housing of the domestic refrigerator.
[0016] It is preferably provided that a first wall region of this
outer enclosure is a bottom wall of the outer enclosure. Thus in
particular when the ice-maker is disposed in an insertion region
formed in a top corner region of the liner, the outer enclosure is
oriented and disposed by a bottom wall and also a side wall towards
the storage compartment. Therefore this bottom wall and this one
side wall face the storage compartment and are subject to a
particular thermal insulation with respect to the storage
compartment. In this context it is then preferably also provided
that a second wall region is a side wall of the outer enclosure.
Thus in particular two wall regions of the outer enclosure that are
arranged at an angle to one another have said double-wall
construction, and in the interspace in each wall region is disposed
a thermally insulating material. Specifically all the wall regions
of the outer enclosure that face the storage compartment are then
already themselves suitably thermally insulated. It is hence no
longer necessary to introduce additionally a thermally insulating
material between the outer enclosure and a wall region of the
liner, which wall region is disposed adjacent to said outer
enclosure. Furthermore, it can also be provided by this embodiment
that the outer enclosure can be disposed such that the wall regions
that have a double-wall construction are directly adjacent to wall
regions of the liner, so that then installation space can also be
saved here.
[0017] It is provided in particular that the two wall regions of
the outer enclosure that have a double-wall construction merge into
each other and form a common contiguous and continuous total wall
region. This total wall region is designed to be L-shaped in
cross-section. Thus the wall regions also have an extensive and
continuous double-wall construction and hence the thermally
insulating material can also be introduced into this interspace
such that it fills this interspace fully and continuously.
[0018] It is provided in particular that the inner wall and the
outer wall of the wall region are separate pieces. This embodiment
can allow simple manufacture of the outer enclosure especially in
this wall region.
[0019] It is preferably provided that on an edge of the inner wall
that faces the outer wall is formed a strip-shaped connecting
piece, which is disposed in planar contact with, and overlapping, a
connecting piece formed on the outer wall, in particular on an edge
of the outer wall that faces the inner wall. This embodiment
facilitates stable positioning of the separate walls, and by virtue
of said overlap also achieves a certain degree of sealing so that
thermally insulating material introduced into the interspace cannot
escape through this interface.
[0020] It is preferably provided that the strip-shaped connecting
piece, in particular the connecting piece that is formed on the
edge of the inner wall, is part of an insertion slot into which is
then inserted or plug-fitted the strip-shaped connecting piece on
the edge of the outer wall. This further improves the
aforementioned advantages.
[0021] It is provided in particular that at least one additional
wall region of the outer enclosure that faces away from the storage
compartment has only a single-wall construction. This single-wall
structure is adequate here since at these wall regions there is no
need for extensive thermal insulation with respect to the storage
compartment. In particular it is intended here nonetheless that at
least portions of an interspace between this additional wall region
and the outer shell of the housing of the domestic refrigerator is
again filled with thermally insulating material.
[0022] It is preferably provided that an additional wall region of
the outer enclosure is a side wall of the outer enclosure that
faces away from the storage compartment, and an additional wall
region of the outer enclosure is a top wall of the outer enclosure
that faces away from the storage compartment.
[0023] It can be provided that the outer enclosure has an enclosure
element directly bordering the interior volume of the outer
enclosure, which enclosure element is formed from a plurality of
separate single parts. In particular, the enclosure element
comprises a single-piece base tray as a single part, so that liquid
collecting in the outer enclosure can be captured here and there is
no unwanted escape of this liquid. This prevents wetting or soaking
of thermally insulating material located under the base tray.
[0024] The double-walled wall region of the outer enclosure is
bounded where it faces the interior volume of the outer enclosure
by a single part that constitutes in this double-walled wall region
the inner wall of the wall region. In addition, this inner wall of
the double-walled wall region is also formed at least in part by
the base tray. In particular, the outer enclosure comprises as an
additional single part an attachment, which comprises two separate
cover pieces. The cover pieces each have a top wall and side walls
attached thereto, both of said cover pieces being connected at the
top walls by an assembly interface, in particular a plug-in
connection.
[0025] Again in this case, overlapping strip-shaped connecting
pieces can be provided, in particular it can be provided that there
is an insertion slot in which then the other strip-shaped
connecting piece penetrates or is inserted.
[0026] In particular, the outer wall is formed from a single piece
and in particular has an L-shaped design. This makes the outer wall
very robust and minimizes the number of components, and can also
avoid an interface from which insulating material might escape.
[0027] In particular, the outer wall is designed to have stiffening
members, in particular on an inner face that faces the inner wall.
This means that the outer wall is even more resistant to
deformation. In particular, the stiffening members are designed to
be integral. The stiffening members are preferably in the form of
ribs. When the outer wall has an L-shaped design, the stiffening
members run in particular across a transition in the L-shape. This
particularly reinforces specifically this transition.
[0028] In particular, the inner wall is composed of at least two
separate wall pieces, which are joined to one another, in
particular plug-fitted to one another, at a junction, said junction
in particular having an interlocking design. This means that the
connection has a very sturdy and robust design. In particular, the
base tray has a side wall on which is formed a tooth pattern on an
upper edge. In particular, a mating tooth pattern, which meshes
with the tooth pattern, is formed on a lower edge of a vertical
side wall of a cover piece of an attachment.
[0029] In addition, the invention also relates to a method for
producing a domestic refrigerator, in which an outer enclosure of
an ice-maker of the domestic refrigerator is disposed in a liner,
which bounds a food storage compartment of the domestic
refrigerator and is separate from the outer enclosure, preferably
is disposed in an insertion region of the liner. The outer
enclosure of the ice-maker is designed to have at least one wall
region that comprises an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart
therefrom. An interspace is produced between the inner wall and the
outer wall, at least portions of said interspace being filled with
a thermally insulating material prior to fitting the outer
enclosure in the liner or in the insertion region of the liner. In
particular, then the pre-assembly module formed thereby is only
then subsequently inserted into the liner or into the insertion
region of the liner, and fitted there. The advantages that this can
achieve have already been presented above for the domestic
refrigerator.
[0030] Advantageous embodiments of the domestic refrigerator
according to the invention shall be deemed advantageous embodiments
of the method, in which case physical components of the domestic
refrigerator are disposed and/or connected to one another
correspondingly during production.
[0031] In particular, a thermally insulating material is not
introduced into an interspace between a liner and an outer shell of
the housing of the domestic refrigerator until the pre-assembly
module of the ice-maker has been fitted into this interspace.
[0032] The domestic refrigerator is preferably designed to have a
first storage compartment, which constitutes a chill compartment
and on which is disposed the ice-maker. The domestic refrigerator
also comprises in particular a second storage compartment, which is
separate from the first storage compartment and is a freezer
compartment. The at least one first storage compartment, viewed in
the height direction of the domestic refrigerator, is preferably
disposed above the second storage compartment. In particular, the
first storage compartment can be closed by two separate doors, each
of which can pivot about a vertical axis of rotation. The second
storage compartment can be closed in particular by a further door,
which is separate from said storage compartment and which in
particular is a front wall of a drawer or cart that can be inserted
into the storage compartment and can be withdrawn.
[0033] The terms "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," "horizontal,
"vertical," "depth direction," "width direction," "height
direction" etc. define the positions and orientations that apply
when the appliance is used and disposed as intended and for a
viewer who is then standing in front of the appliance and looking
towards the appliance.
[0034] The claims, the figures and the description of the figures
contain further features of the invention. The features and feature
combinations mentioned above in the description, and the features
and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the
figures and/or shown solely in the figures can be used not just in
the particular combination stated but also in other combinations
without departing from the scope of the present invention. The
invention shall therefore be deemed to include and disclose also
embodiments that are not described and shown explicitly in the
figures but can be derived and produced from the described
embodiments by separate feature combinations. Embodiments and
feature combinations that hence do not comprise all the features of
an independent claim in the original wording shall also be deemed
to be disclosed. Furthermore, embodiments and feature combinations
that go beyond or differ from the feature combinations presented in
the dependency references of the claims shall be deemed to be
disclosed, in particular by the embodiments described above.
[0035] The construction and method of operation of the invention,
however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof
will be best understood from the following description of specific
embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a
domestic refrigerator according to the invention;
[0037] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the domestic refrigerator
of FIG. 1 with the doors shown in FIG. 1 removed;
[0038] FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the view in FIG.
2;
[0039] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a liner of the domestic
refrigerator having an outer enclosure of an ice-maker of the
domestic refrigerator, which outer enclosure is disposed in an
insertion region of the liner;
[0040] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of
the outer enclosure of the ice-maker;
[0041] FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the outer
enclosure of FIG. 5;
[0042] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a further exemplary embodiment
of an outer enclosure; and
[0043] FIG. 8 shows the embodiment of FIG. 7 in the assembled
state.
[0044] Identical or functionally identical parts are denoted by the
same reference signs in the figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0045] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and
first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a schematic
diagram a domestic refrigerator 1, which is designed for storing
and conserving food. The domestic refrigerator 1 is embodied as a
combined fridge-freezer appliance. It comprises a housing 2, in
which is formed a first storage compartment 4 (FIG. 2), which is a
chill compartment. In addition, a second storage compartment 5
(FIG. 2), which is separate from the first storage compartment 4
and is a freezer compartment, is formed in the housing 2.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, the first storage compartment 4 can be
closed by two separate doors 6 and 7, which can be operated
independently of one another and can each pivot relative to the
housing 2 about a vertical axis, i.e. an axis oriented in the
height direction (y-direction). The second storage compartment 5
can be closed by a door 8, which again is separate therefrom. The
door 8 may be, for example, a front wall of a drawer that is
mounted such that it can be inserted into the second storage
compartment 5 and withdrawn.
[0047] In addition, the domestic refrigerator 1 comprises at least
one ice-maker 9 (FIG. 2), which is disposed outside the first
storage compartment 4 and hence outside the chill compartment, and
is designed to produce pieces of ice such as ice cubes or crushed
ice.
[0048] It is provided in particular in the exemplary embodiment
that the domestic refrigerator 1 comprises a dispenser unit, which
is designed to output at least pieces of ice. The dispenser unit 10
(FIG. 1) can additionally be designed also to output liquid, in
particular water or other beverages, in particular mixed beverages.
It is provided in the exemplary embodiment that the dispenser unit
10 is designed to output via the door 6, so that pieces of ice or
liquid can be output even once the door 6 is closed. For this
purpose, the door 6 comprises a recess 11, into which a receptacle,
in particular a drinking vessel, can be placed so that the relevant
medium can be output via an output unit 12 which belongs to the
dispenser unit 10, is disposed in the door 6 and discharges into
the recess 11.
[0049] It can also be provided, however, that an output of this
nature via the door 6 is not provided, and only the ice-maker 9 is
present, for example, which then is accessible only by opening the
door 6. Pieces of ice that are produced can then be removed by
withdrawing a storage container described in greater detail below
that belongs to the ice-maker 9 and in which the pieces of ice are
collected.
[0050] It can be seen in FIG. 2 that the first storage compartment
4 is bounded by walls of a liner 13. This liner 13 comprises at its
top left corner region 14 an insertion region 15, into which the
ice-maker 9 is inserted. The ice-maker 9 is accessible only via the
loading aperture of the first storage compartment 4. The ice-maker
9 extends in particular only in part into the storage compartment
4, and hence through at least one cutout or hole in the liner 13,
the walls of which bound the storage compartment 4. The ice-maker 9
is arranged at least such that a wall region, in particular a
cover, of the ice-maker 9, borders the storage compartment 4
directly. In particular, a storage container of the ice-maker 9 is
provided, the front wall of which forms this wall region that
directly borders the storage compartment 4. This front wall is
accessible in particular only via a front loading aperture of the
storage compartment 4.
[0051] The storage compartment 5 is likewise bounded by walls of a
liner 3.
[0052] FIG. 3 shows the view of FIG. 2 in a vertical sectional view
and hence in the x-y plane. It can be seen here that the ice-maker
9 comprises an outer enclosure 16, which is inserted into said
insertion region 15. This recess or cavity formed in the liner 13
constitutes a receptacle containing this insertion region 15 into
which said outer enclosure 16 is preferably disposed such that it
does not protrude upwards and laterally beyond the extent of the
liner 13.
[0053] This insertion region 15 is bounded with respect to the
storage compartment 4 by a side-wall region 17 of the liner 13 and
by a bottom-wall region 18 of the liner 13.
[0054] The outer enclosure 16 comprises two wall regions 19 and 20,
which have a double-wall construction with a thermally insulating
material 22 introduced in an interspace 21 of said wall region 19
and also of said wall region 20. It is already clear in FIG. 3 that
a first wall region 19 is a bottom wall of the outer enclosure 16,
and a second wall region 20 is a vertically upright side wall of
the outer enclosure 16. Both this bottom wall and this side wall of
the outer enclosure 16, in particular rectangular outer enclosure
16, shown in vertical cross-section are disposed facing the first
storage compartment 4.
[0055] It can also be seen in FIG. 3 that this total wall region,
which comprises the wall region 19 and 20, is L-shaped.
[0056] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the liner 13 from behind
looking onto the insertion region 15 and outer enclosure 16
inserted therein.
[0057] FIG. 5 shows the outer enclosure 16 of the ice-maker 9 in a
perspective view. This outer enclosure 16 comprises at the front a
loading aperture 23, into which a storage container 24 (FIG. 2) can
be inserted and withdrawn. The storage container 24 comprises a
tray region and a front wall, said front wall constituting a front
cover of the loading aperture 23 once the storage container 24 is
inserted. The storage container 24 is designed to take the pieces
of ice produced in the outer enclosure 16 by the ice-maker 9. In
addition, an ice-cube tray is preferably also disposed in the outer
enclosure 16, said ice-cube tray defining the shapes of the pieces
of ice to be produced.
[0058] In addition, yet further components can also be disposed in
the outer enclosure 16.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 5, the outer enclosure 16 is formed from a
plurality of single parts, with a base tray 25 being provided here
on which is mounted an attachment 26. The attachment 26 likewise is
again constructed from multiple parts and comprises a first cover
piece 27 and a second cover piece 28 connected thereto. In
particular, the cover pieces 27 and 28 are connected together, in
particular plug-fitted to one another, at an interface 29. In
addition, the cover pieces 27 and 28 are joined, in particular
plug-fitted, to the base tray 25 at further interfaces 30 and
31.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, this double-walled wall region
comprising the first wall region 19 and the second wall region 20
extends over the full height of the side wall of the cover piece 28
and also extends further under the base tray 25. This again
illustrates the L-shape clearly.
[0061] It is clear from FIG. 6, which shows a vertical sectional
view and hence a sectional view in the x-y plane of FIG. 5, that
this wall region 19 comprises an inner wall 32, spaced apart from
which is an outer wall 33. In the example shown, the inner wall 32
for this first wall region 19 is formed by the bottom wall of the
base tray 25.
[0062] In addition, for the second wall region 20, an inner wall 34
is formed by the vertical side wall of the attachment 26, in
particular of the second cover piece 28, which cover piece faces
the first storage compartment 4. An outer wall 35 of the second
wall region 20 is integrally connected to the outer wall 33, and
also this outer wall 35 is accordingly spaced apart from the inner
wall 34. In addition, as is also clear from FIG. 6, the outer wall
35 is accordingly joined to the inner wall 34 in the top region at
an interface, in particular likewise again disposed such that they
overlap one another, thereby preventing an escape of the thermally
insulating material 22 from this interspace 21. There is also
corresponding provision between the outer wall 33 and the base tray
25.
[0063] Once the outer enclosure 16 is assembled it is therefore no
longer necessary to introduce a thermally insulating material
between the outer wall 35 and the wall region 17, and between the
outer wall 33 and the wall segment 18 of the liner 13. Said wall
regions or wall segments can then also be disposed at a minimum
separation from one another or even positioned directly adjacent to
one another.
[0064] Once this pre-assembly module shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 in
the form of the outer enclosure 16 together with the thermally
insulated total wall region comprising the two wall regions 19 and
20 is fitted, thermally insulating material is subsequently
introduced into an interspace 36 (FIG. 3) between the liner 13 and
an outer shell 37 of the housing 2, and thermally insulating
material is introduced between the liner 3, 13 and this outer shell
37, and thermally insulating material is introduced between the
outer enclosure 16 and the outer shell 37. This means that both the
outer enclosure 16 and the liners 3 and 13 are enclosed by foam in
the housing 2.
[0065] Wall regions 38, 39 that face away from the storage
compartment 4, in particular a side wall and a top wall, of the
outer enclosure 16 have only a single-wall construction.
[0066] FIG. 7 shows in an exploded view the outer enclosure 16 in
another exemplary embodiment. Again in this case the wall regions
19 and 20 are formed as an L-shape. In particular, the outer walls
33 and 35 are formed from a single piece. On an inner face 33a of
the outer wall 33, and on an inner face 35a of the outer wall 35
are integrally formed a plurality of stiffening members 40, in
particular as longitudinal ribs. The stiffening members 40 are
oriented parallel to one another and each extent contiguously also
across a transition of the L-shape between a bottom leg of the
L-shape and an upright leg of the L-shape.
[0067] It is also provided in particular that the base tray 25
comprises in addition to the bottom wall a side wall 41, which
faces the outer wall 35. A tooth pattern 41a is formed on an upper
edge of this side wall 41. Once the outer enclosure is assembled,
which situation is shown in FIG. 8, this tooth pattern 41a meshes
with a mating tooth pattern 34a and hence forms a junction 42. The
mating tooth pattern 34a is formed on a lower edge of the cover
piece 28.
[0068] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and
the corresponding structure used in the above description of the
invention:
[0069] 1 domestic refrigerator
[0070] 2 housing
[0071] 3 liner
[0072] 4 first storage compartment
[0073] 5 second storage compartment
[0074] 6 door
[0075] 7 door
[0076] 8 door
[0077] 9 ice-maker
[0078] 10 dispenser unit
[0079] 11 recess
[0080] 12 output unit
[0081] 13 liner
[0082] 14 left corner region
[0083] 15 insertion region
[0084] 16 outer enclosure
[0085] 17 side-wall region
[0086] 18 bottom-wall region
[0087] 19 wall region
[0088] 20 wall region
[0089] 21 interspace
[0090] 22 insulating material
[0091] 23 loading aperture
[0092] 24 storage container
[0093] 25 base tray
[0094] 26 attachment
[0095] 27 cover piece
[0096] 28 cover piece
[0097] 29 interface
[0098] 30 interface
[0099] 31 interface
[0100] 32 inner wall
[0101] 33 outer wall
[0102] 33a inner face
[0103] 34 inner wall
[0104] 34a mating tooth pattern
[0105] 35 outer wall
[0106] 35a inner face
[0107] 36 interspace
[0108] 37 outer shell
[0109] 38 wall region
[0110] 39 wall region
[0111] 40 stiffening member
[0112] 41 side wall
[0113] 41a tooth pattern
[0114] 42 junction
* * * * *