Refrigeration appliance with indirect cooling-chamber illumination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9671104-B2
Application number	US-201314379179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2013
Priority date	Feb 16, 2012
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance with at least one cooling chamber, which is formed by walls and at least one door, wherein the refrigeration appliance has an illuminating device with at least one light source for illuminating the cooling chamber indirectly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration appliance with at least one cooling chamber, which is formed by walls and at least one door, wherein the refrigeration appliance has an illumination facility with (a) at least one light source to illuminate chilled goods within the cooling chamber indirectly (b) a shield provided to shield the chilled goods from the direct inward radiation of light from the illumination facility, and (c) a light guide with mirrored inner walls, the light guide being connected downstream of the light source and set up to couple in light from the light source and conduct the light into the cooling chamber, wherein the light guide has ends and light coupling out regions with less or no mirroring positioned between the ends to couple the light out of the light guide and into the cooling chamber, the light from the coupling out regions illuminating the chilled goods and being provided to the chamber in addition to and separately from the light from the light source that is also provided into the chamber for indirect illumination of the chilled goods, the light guide being positioned proximate a region of an air channel for ventilating the cooling chamber.

2. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the illumination facility is configured to generate corona light.

3. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the illumination source is covered at least partially by a light edge or is arranged behind a light edge.

4. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least subregions of the walls are formed in the manner of reflectors for the light generated by the illumination facility.

5. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the illumination facility is set up to illuminate individual regions, including the corners of the cooling chamber.

6. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source has at least one light-emitting diode and/or fluorescent lamp and/or halogen lamp.

7. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light guide runs adjacent the rear wall of the cooling chamber.

8. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light guide has transparent colored light coupling out regions of different colors.

9. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light guide is made of a plastic including polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate.

10. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light guide is arranged so that it runs horizontally around the cooling chamber.

11. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the illumination facility is set up to illuminate different regions of the cooling chamber, in an alternating manner with light in a number of different colors.

12. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the illumination facility has a number of light sources, which emit light in different colors and/or light intensities.

13. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a light-reflecting shield of the respective light source is arranged so that it shields light in the direction of the interior of the cooling chamber.

14. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shield is positioned downstream from where the light beam enters the cooling chamber.

15. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source is provided inside the cooling chamber.

16. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein light from the light source and light from the coupling out regions are provided to the cooling chamber in parallel fashion.

17. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source is disposed between the ends of the light guide.

18. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling out regions are disposed on a longitudinal boundary surface of the light guide.

19. A refrigeration appliance, the refrigeration appliance comprising at least one cooling chamber formed by walls and at least one door, wherein the refrigeration appliance has an illumination facility with (a) at least one light source to generate and direct radiation of light into the cooling chamber, the light source being configured to illuminate chilled goods within the cooling chamber indirectly, the light source suspended from a top of the cooling chamber, (b) a shield provided to shield the direct inward radiation of light from the illumination facility partially in the direction of the interior of the chilled goods chamber, the shield provided to shield chilled goods from direct illumination from the light source, and (c) a light guide having mirrored inner walls, the light guide being connected downstream of the light source and set up to couple in light from the light source and conduct the light into the cooling chamber to illuminate the chilled goods within the cooling chamber indirectly, wherein the light guide has ends and light coupling out regions, the coupling out regions corresponding to portions of the mirrored inner walls of the light guide where mirroring has been reduced or removed, the coupling out regions being positioned between the ends, the coupling out regions being positioned to couple the light out of the light guide and into the cooling chamber, the light source being positioned between the ends such that light radiates from the light source in opposite directions along the light guide, the light from the coupling out regions being provided into the cooling chamber in addition to the light from the light source being introduced into the cooling chamber, the shield being positioned to shield chilled goods from direct illumination from the light passing through the coupling out regions, the light guide being positioned proximate a region of an air channel for ventilating the cooling chamber, wherein light generated from the light source is directed from inward to radially outward from the air channel.

20. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the light guide is arranged so that it runs horizontally around the cooling chamber.

21. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the light source is provided inside the cooling chamber.

Assignees

• Bsh Bosch & Siemens Hausgeraete Gmbh
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Becke Christoph
• Eicher Max
• Gorodezki Swetlana
• Kirschbaum Maike
• Staud Ralph
• Tischer Thomas

Classifications

• F21W2131/305

  for refrigerators · CPC title

• G02B6/001

  the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre · CPC title

• F25D27/00 Primary

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F21V33/0044 Primary

  Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title