Refrigerator having a door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018404-B2
Application number	US-201515327088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a door having a user interface electrical module, an accommodating space accommodating the user interface electrical module, a handle groove, and a concave portion being open towards a front surface and a side surface of the door in such a way that the handle groove is accessible to a user through the concave portion. The door includes a user interface housing. The accommodating space, the handle groove and the concave portion are located within the user interface housing and are successively disposed side by side along a depth direction of the handle groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising a door, said door including:
a front surface, a side surface, a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction of said door;
an accommodating space;
a user interface electrical module being accommodated in said accommodating space;
a concave portion being open towards said front surface and said side surface of said door;
a handle groove being accessible to a user though said concave portion, said handle groove having a depth direction;
a visible boundary frame being connected to and open at said side surface of said door;
said user interface electrical module, said handle groove and said concave portion being located within said visible boundary frame in said transverse and longitudinal directions of said door; and
said concave portion, said handle groove and said user interface electrical module being successively disposed side by side along said depth direction of said handle groove.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
said boundary frame includes a pair of first boundaries disposed opposite and parallel to each other and a second boundary interconnecting said pair of first boundaries;
said first boundaries being connected to said side surface of said door; and
said second boundary being disposed at a distance from said side surface, of said door.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein said first boundaries extend horizontally or vertically on said door.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein said concave portion has a length being equal to or less than a length of said boundary frame.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
said door includes a door body;
said door body includes an inner door liner, a user interface housing, and a front wall being disposed in front of said inner door liner and having a first opening;
a thermal insulation space disposed between said inner door liner and said front wall;
said user interface housing closing said first opening relative to said thermal insulation space; and
said accommodating space, said handle groove and said concave portion being disposed within said user interface housing.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein said boundary frame is substantially defined by said first opening.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein:
said door body includes a side wall having a second opening in communication with said first opening;
said user interface housing is connected to said front wall and said side wall; and
said second opening is closed by said user interface housing relative to said thermal insulation space.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein said door includes a front panel covering said user interface electrical module, and said handle groove is disposed behind said front panel.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , which further comprises a grip portion disposed between said front panel and said handle groove in a front-back direction of said door.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein said front panel forms at least a majority of said front surface of said door, and said front panel has an edge with an edge opening exposing said concave portion in a forward direction of said door.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein said front panel is detachably fixed to said user interface housing.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , which further comprises a handle member being detachably connected to said door, said accommodating space having an entrance being open towards a side of said handle groove, and said entrance being closed by said handle member.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein said concave portion has a length being equal to or less than a length of said first opening.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein:
said front panel includes a front panel portion covering said user interface electrical module and said grip portion in said front-back direction of said door, said front panel portion has a side;
said front panel includes a side panel portion connected to said side of said front panel portion and extending backward; and
said side panel portion covers at least a part of said grip portion along said depth direction of said handle groove.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein said user interface housing includes a rear wall, said rear wall defining a rear edge of said handle groove and said concave portion.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Becke Christoph
• Eicher Max
• Foersterling Klaus
• Hartwein Christine
• Kessler Andreas
• Kleinlein Philipp
• Staud Ralph
• Tischer Thomas

Classifications

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title