Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191737-A1
Application number	US-201515327092-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a door having a user-interface electrical module, a door liner, a front wall being located in front of the door liner and having a first opening, a side wall, and a thermal insulation space being located between the door liner and the front wall and being filled with a heat insulation layer. The side wall has a second opening in communication with the first opening. The door includes a user-interface housing which closes the first opening and the second opening relative to the thermal insulation space and includes a receiving space for receiving the user-interface electrical module and a concave portion being open towards the first opening and the second opening to permit access to a handle groove within the user-interface housing.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A refrigerator, comprising a door, said door including:
a user-interface electrical module; a door liner; a front wall being disposed in front of said door liner and having a first opening; a side wall having a second opening being in communication with said first opening; a thermal insulation space disposed between said door liner and said front wall; a heat insulation layer filling said thermal insulation space; a user-interface housing closing said first opening and said second opening relative to said thermal insulation space; and a handle groove disposed within said user-interface housing; said user-interface housing having a receiving space for receiving said user-interface electrical module, and said user-interface housing having a concave portion being open towards said first opening and said second opening to provide access to said handle groove.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein said concave portion has a length being equal to or less than a length of at least one of said first opening or said second opening.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein said door has a top surface and a pair of opposite edges bordering said first opening and being parallel to said top surface.

19 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein said first opening and said second opening are located at an identical height along said door and have an identical length in a length direction of said side wall.

20 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein said concave portion, said handle groove and said user-interface electrical module are sequentially disposed side by side in a depth direction of said handle groove.

21 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein said user-interface housing includes a rear wall being fixedly attached to said heat insulation layer, and said rear wall defines rear boundaries of said handle groove and said concave portion.

22 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , which further comprises:
a handle member being detachably connected to said user-interface housing; said receiving space having an inlet being open towards said handle groove; said user-interface electrical module being accessible through said inlet; and said inlet being closed by said handle member.

23 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein said door includes a grip portion disposed in front of said handle groove and said door includes a one-piece front panel, said front panel covering said user-interface electrical module and said grip portion in a front-to-rear direction.

24 . The refrigerator according to claim 23 , wherein said grip portion is an integral part of said user-interface housing.

25 . The refrigerator according to claim 23 , wherein said front panel covers said front wall, and said front panel has one edge with an edge opening corresponding to said concave portion.

26 . The refrigerator according to claim 23 , wherein said front panel is detachably fixed to said user-interface housing along said first opening.

27 . The refrigerator according to claim 26 , wherein:
said first opening defines an edge; said front wall has a first flange being bent backwards from said edge of said first opening; said user-interface housing has a first insertion groove adjacent a corresponding end of said concave portion; said first flange has a first part overlapping said concave portion in a length direction of said concave portion, and said first flange has a second part surrounding an edge of said front panel; and said first part is inserted into said first insertion groove and said second part is disposed between said front panel and said user-interface housing.

28 . The refrigerator according to claim 27 , wherein said user-interface housing includes a groove wall of said first insertion groove facing towards said concave portion, and said front panel is in contact with an end surface of said groove wall facing towards said front panel.

29 . The refrigerator according to claim 23 , wherein said front panel includes a front plate portion covering said user-interface electrical module and said grip portion in a front-to-rear direction, said front panel includes a side plate portion being connected to one side of said front plate portion and extending backwards, and said side plate portion covers at least a part of said grip portion in a depth direction of said handle groove.

30 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein said user-interface housing includes a first connection flange being connected to a rear surface of said front wall, said user-interface housing includes a second connection flange being connected to said side wall, and said first connection flange is at least approximately perpendicular to said second connection flange.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F25D11/00

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title