DOOR ASSEMBLY FOR REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE AND REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE

Abstract

A door assembly for a refrigeration appliance includes: an inner door which is provided with a first door frame that is enclosed to form an inner door cavity; a first door seal that is assembled on a rear side of the first door frame; and an outer door that is pivotably arranged on a front side of the inner door. The outer door has a thermal insulation glass module which includes at least two glass sheets that are spaced apart from each other. A sealing portion is arranged between the adjacent glass sheets. The sealing portion has a first sealing section, and, when viewed in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the door assembly, the first sealing section is located on an outer side of the first door seal.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of refrigeration appliances, and in particular, to a door assembly for a refrigeration appliance. The present invention also relates to a corresponding refrigeration appliance.

In recent years, with the development of technology and the improvement of living standards, people have increasingly high requirements for refrigeration appliances such as refrigerators or wine cabinets. On the one hand, people hope that the refrigeration appliance has a large storage volume, and on the other hand, hope that sizes of the refrigeration appliances satisfy space requirements of a home and can ensure a desired refrigeration effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of embodiments of the present invention is to provide an improved door assembly for a refrigeration appliance. The door assembly can effectively avoid leakage of refrigeration capacity of the refrigeration appliance while increasing a storage volume of the refrigeration appliance.

With the above and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a door assembly for a refrigeration appliance, the door assembly being configured to open or close a housing body of the refrigeration appliance. The novel door assembly comprises:

• • an inner door configured to be pivotably mounted on a front side of the housing body relative to the housing body, said inner door having a first door frame enclosing an inner door cavity;
  • a first door seal disposed on a rear side of said first door frame and configured to sealably close said first door frame relative to the housing body when said inner door is closed; and
  • an outer door pivotably mounted on a front side of said inner door relative to said inner door and configured to selectively open or close said inner door cavity, said outer door having a thermal insulation glass module with at least two glass sheets that are spaced apart from one another, a sealing portion arranged between adjacent said glass sheets, and a thermal insulation space between said glass sheets formed by said sealing portion; and
  • said sealing portion having a first sealing section which, viewed in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the door assembly, is located on an outer side of said first door seal.

In other words, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door assembly for a refrigeration appliance. The door assembly is configured to open or close a housing body of the refrigeration appliance. The door assembly includes at least:

• • an inner door, the inner door being configured to be pivotably arranged on a front side of the housing body relative to the housing body, the inner door being provided with a first door frame, and the first door frame being enclosed to form an inner door cavity;
  • a first door seal, the first door seal being assembled on a rear side of the first door frame and configured to sealably close the first door frame relative to the housing body when the inner door is closed; and
  • an outer door, the outer door being pivotably arranged on a front side of the inner door relative to the inner door and configured to open or close the inner door cavity, where the outer door has a thermal insulation glass module, the thermal insulation glass module includes at least two glass sheets spaced apart from each other, a sealing portion is arranged between the adjacent glass sheets, and a thermal insulation space is formed between the glass sheets by means of the sealing portion; and
  • the sealing portion has a first sealing section, and when viewed in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the door assembly, the first sealing section is located on an outer side of the first door seal.

Compared with the prior art, according to the door assembly for a refrigeration appliance of the present invention, the sealing portion of the thermal insulation glass module of the outer door is at least partially located on the outer side of the first door seal of the inner door, so that the thermal insulation space enclosed by the sealing portion of the thermal insulation glass module at least partially exceeds a refrigeration space in the refrigeration appliance in the projection plane in a vertical thickness direction. In this case, the thermal insulation space exists between the refrigeration space and an external environment, and heat transfer between the refrigeration space and the external environment can be hindered by means of the thermal insulation space. In addition, the sealing portion of the thermal insulation glass module is located outside the refrigeration space, which can effectively prevent refrigeration capacity in the refrigeration space from leaking outward through an outer periphery of the sealing portion, thereby improving a refrigeration effect of the refrigeration appliance. Further, the thermal insulation space of the thermal insulation glass module hinders the heat transfer between the refrigeration space and the external environment, and the refrigeration capacity in the refrigeration space cannot leak outward through the outer periphery of the sealing portion, so that a temperature of a front side of the thermal insulation glass module is not affected by the refrigeration capacity in the refrigeration space and is substantially maintained at an ambient temperature. Therefore, water vapor in the ambient air does not condense on the front side of the thermal insulation glass module, thereby avoiding a phenomenon of condensation on the front side of the thermal insulation glass module.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, in a projection plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the door assembly, a projection of the first sealing section is spaced apart from a projection of the first door seal. In this case, the thermal insulation space of the thermal insulation glass module exists between the first sealing section of the sealing portion and the first door seal, which can prevent the refrigeration capacity of the refrigeration space from leaking outward through the sealing portion as much as possible by means of the thermal insulation space. However, it may also be considered that, based on specific requirements for manufacturing and assembly of the door assembly, in the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, the projection of the first sealing section is adjacent to the projection of the first door seal, and/or in the projection plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the door assembly, a part of the projection of the first sealing section overlaps the projection of the first door seal, and the remaining part of the projection of the first sealing section is located on the outer side of the first door seal.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the sealing portion moves along an outer edge of at least one glass sheet of the thermal insulation glass module, so that the sealing portion has an annular configuration surrounding the glass sheet, and/or the sealing portion has a constant width on an entire longitudinal extension scale. This can realize a maximum possible thermal insulation space for the thermal insulation glass module and ensures uniform sealing and thermal insulation performance of the sealing portion.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first sealing section extends through the entire longitudinal extension scale of at least one side of the sealing portion. In particular, the first sealing section extends in the longitudinal extension scale of all sides of the sealing portion. This can optimize the thermal insulation and sealing effect of the door assembly relative to the housing body, to prevent the refrigeration capacity in the refrigeration space from leaking outward, thereby improving refrigeration performance of the refrigeration appliance.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the sealing portion has a second sealing section, and in the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, a projection of the second sealing section completely overlaps the projection of the first door seal or is surrounded by a projection of the first door seal. Therefore, a flexible configuration of the door assembly based on actual manufacturing and assembly requirements can be realized.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the door assembly is provided with a second hinge mechanism for the outer door and/or a second gripping portion at a position adjacent to the second sealing section, and/or the sealing portion has the first sealing section and the second sealing section in the at least one side. In this way, a relatively thin configuration of the door assembly may be readily realized by arranging the functional component(s) in the second sealing section instead of the entire thermal insulation glass module or the rear side of the outer door.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first door frame is provided with a first assembly portion for assembling the first door seal, the first assembly portion is provided with at least one fitting recess, and the first door seal is provided with at least one fitting protrusion fitted into the fitting recess. Through cooperation of the fitting recess of the first assembly portion and the fitting protrusion of the first door seal, tight and seamless mounting of the first door seal on the first door frame can be implemented, thereby preventing the first door seal from accidentally falling off or unexpected leakage of the refrigeration capacity.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the door assembly includes a second door seal, and the second door seal is configured to sealably close the outer door relative to the first door frame when the outer door is closed. Through the second door seal, the refrigeration capacity can be prevented from leaking outward through a gap between the outer door and the inner door.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the outer door is provided with a second door frame, the second door frame is configured to bear the thermal insulation glass module, and the second door seal is assembled on a rear side of the second door frame. Through the second door frame, the assembly strength of the outer door or the thermal insulation glass module can be increased. Herein, in the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, a projection of the second door seal is completely located on an inner side of a projection of the sealing portion. Therefore, the second door seal is completely covered by the thermal insulation space of the thermal insulation glass module, to prevent the refrigeration capacity from leaking outward along an edge of the second door seal.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first door frame has a first foaming space, the first foaming space is filled with a thermal insulation foaming material, and/or the second door frame has a second foaming space, the second foaming space is filled with a thermal insulation foaming material. In the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, the sealing portion is located in an area of the second foaming space. The thermal insulation capacity of the door assembly and a refrigeration effect of a refrigeration device are further improved by means of the foaming material arranged in the foaming space.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first door frame is provided with a first hinge assembly portion of the first hinge mechanism for the inner door. The first hinge mechanism is configured to be arranged between the inner door and the housing body, the first hinge assembly portion is implemented as a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft, and/or the door assembly is provided with a second hinge mechanism for the outer door. The second hinge mechanism is arranged between the inner door and the outer door, and the second door frame is provided with a second hinge assembly portion for the second hinge mechanism. The second hinge assembly portion is implemented as the hinge shaft or the shaft hole for the hinge shaft. This can realize pivotable arrangement of the inner door relative to the housing body and pivotable arrangement of the outer door relative to the inner door. Moreover, it may also be considered that the door assembly is provided with a second hinge mechanism for the outer door. The second hinge mechanism is arranged between the inner door and the outer door, and the second hinge assembly portion of the second hinge mechanism is arranged on a rear side of the thermal insulation glass module of the outer door and is implemented as a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft. In this case, the second hinge mechanism for the outer door may be directly arranged on the rear side of the thermal insulation glass module of the outer door, and the second door frame for the outer door does not need to be arranged.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first door frame has a first gripping portion recessed inwards in the direction parallel to the main extension plane of the door assembly.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, a first glass sheet on a forefront side of the thermal insulation glass module has a protruding edge relative to a second glass sheet on a rear side of the thermal insulation glass module. The protruding edge is fixedly placed on a bearing flange of the second door frame, and the glass sheet on the rear side of the thermal insulation glass module is placed in an accommodation space enclosed by the bearing flange. In this way, part of the glass sheet of the thermal insulation glass module can be sunk in the accommodation space of the second door frame, thereby significantly reducing the overall assembly thickness of the door assembly.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the second door frame is provided with a second assembly portion for assembling the second door seal, the second assembly portion surrounds the inner door cavity, and the second assembly portion particularly supports the thermal insulation glass module. This can significantly enhance stability of the thermal insulation glass module while realizing reliable assembly of the second door seal.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the thermal insulation glass module is implemented as a vacuum glass module or a hollow glass module, and the thermal insulation space of the hollow glass module is filled with an inert gas.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, front door plates are arranged at intervals on the front side of the thermal insulation glass module.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the thermal insulation glass module includes a first glass sheet and a second glass sheet. The first glass sheet is located on a front side of the second glass sheet, and the second glass sheet has an irregular shape and has a relief structure at a position corresponding to the second hinge mechanism for the outer door and/or the second gripping portion. This can significantly reduce a thickness and a weight of the door assembly while maintaining desirable thermal insulation performance.

With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a refrigeration appliance that includes a housing body and at least one door assembly according to the present invention, as outlined above.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a door assembly for refrigeration appliance and a refrigeration appliance, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

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 FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an isometric, three-dimensional view showing a door assembly for a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a door assembly for a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a thermal insulation glass module of a door assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a projection view showing a door assembly for a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a door assembly for a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an isometric, three-dimensional view showing an inner door of a door assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is an isometric, three-dimensional view showing an outer door of a door assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial technical effects to be resolved in the present invention clearer, the present invention is to be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, but not to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Herein, for reasons of brevity, elements having the same reference numeral are labeled only once in the accompanying drawings when necessary.

It should also be understood that terms such as “first” and “second” in this specification are merely used for the purpose of description, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating a quantity of technical features indicated. A feature restricted by “first” or “second” may explicitly or implicitly indicate that at least one of the features is included.

In descriptions of the embodiments, expressions such as “up, “down,” “front,” “rear,” “top,” “bottom,” “inside,” and “outside” that indicate orientation or position relationships may be used for describing position relationships of constituent elements with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are only used for facilitating description of this specification and simplifying description, rather than indicating or implying that the mentioned apparatus or element has a particular orientation or needs to be constructed and operated in a particular orientation. Therefore, the expressions should not be construed as a limitation on the present disclosure. The position relationship of the constituent elements is appropriately changed based on a direction of each constituent element that is described. Therefore, expressions are not limited to the expressions described in this specification, and may be appropriately replaced based on a situation.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, in particular, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an isometric view showing a door assembly 100 for a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the door assembly 100. Herein, the refrigeration appliance may be configured as a refrigerator that includes a housing body or housing 3 (see, FIG. 5) and a door assembly 100. The door assembly is configured to open or close the housing body 3 to jointly define a refrigeration space of the refrigeration appliance. However, it may also be considered that refrigeration appliance is a freezer, a wine cabinet, or another appliance considered meaningful by a person skilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 2, the door assembly 100 includes an inner door 10 and an outer door 20. The inner door 10 can be pivotally arranged on a front side of the housing body 3, pivotal relative to the housing body of the refrigeration appliance, and the outer door 20 can be pivotally arranged on a front side of the inner door 10 relative to the inner door 10. The inner door 10 is provided with a first door frame 11, and the first door frame is enclosed to form an inner door cavity 12. The inner door cavity may directly lead to an inner space of the housing body, or may form an accommodation chamber separated from the inner space of the housing body. The outer door 20 is configured to open or close the inner door cavity 12. When a user uses the refrigeration appliance, on the one hand, the user may open the outer door 20 to contact the inner door cavity 12 of the inner door 10 or contact the inner space of the housing body 3 through the inner door cavity 12, and on the other hand, the user may open the inner door 10 to directly contact the inner space of the housing body.

As shown in FIG. 2, the door assembly 100 includes a first door seal 30. The first door seal is assembled on a rear side of the first door frame 11 of the inner door 10. When the inner door 10 is closed, the first door seal is arranged between the first door frame 11 and the housing body of the refrigeration appliance and is configured to sealably close the first door frame 11 relative to the housing body, to prevent refrigeration capacity of a refrigeration space of the housing body from leaking through a gap between the inner door 10 and the housing body.

As shown in FIG. 2, the outer door 20 of the door assembly 100 has a thermal insulation glass module 21. The inner door cavity 12 of the inner door 10 can be closed in a manner of thermal insulation by means of the thermal insulation glass module, thereby preventing heat transfer between an external environment and the inner door cavity 12. Herein, the thermal insulation glass module 21 includes at least two glass sheets 211 and 212 spaced apart from each other. A sealing portion 213 is arranged between the adjacent glass sheets. A thermal insulation space 214 is formed between the adjacent glass sheets by means of the sealing portion. For details, reference is made to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Herein, the thermal insulation glass module 21 may be configured as a vacuum glass module, so that the thermal insulation space 214 presents an approximate vacuum state, thereby minimizing heat dissipated by means of heat conduction, heat convection, and heat radiation, and improving a thermal insulation effect of the thermal insulation glass module 21 as much as possible. However, it may also be considered that the thermal insulation glass module 21 is configured as a hollow glass module, and the thermal insulation space 214 of the hollow glass module is filled with an inert gas, which can also improve the thermal insulation effect of the thermal insulation glass module 21.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a thermal insulation glass module 21 of a door assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the thermal insulation glass module 21 exemplarily includes a first glass sheet or glass pane 211 and a second glass sheet or glass pane 212. When viewed in a depth direction of the refrigeration appliance, the first glass sheet 211 is located in front of the second glass sheet 212 and spaced apart from the second glass sheet 212. A sealing portion 213 is arranged between the first glass sheet 211 and the second glass sheet 212, and the sealing portion and the two glass sheets form a thermal insulation space 214. It will be understood that it is also possible for the thermal insulation glass module 21 to include more glass sheets, for example, three glass sheets, where the sealing portion is arranged between adjacent glass sheets, and a thermal insulation space is formed, to further improve the thermal insulation performance of the thermal insulation glass module 21, but the thermal insulation glass module has a relatively large thickness.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the sealing portion 213 moves along an outer edge of the second glass sheet 212 of the thermal insulation glass module 21, so that the sealing portion 213 has an annular configuration surrounding the second glass sheet 212, which can realize a largest possible area of the thermal insulation space 214 enclosed by the sealing portion 213. Herein, when the first glass sheet 211 and the second glass sheet 212 have the same shape, the sealing portion 213 may move along outermost edges of the first glass sheet 211 and the second glass sheet 212.

By way of example, as shown in FIG. 3, the sealing portion 213 has a constant width on an entire longitudinal extension scale. Therefore, the arrangement of the sealing portion 213 in the thermal insulation glass module 21 can be simplified, and uniform sealing performance of the sealing portion 213 can be realized.

FIG. 5 is a projection view showing a door assembly 100 for a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The projection view is oriented perpendicular to a thickness direction of the door assembly 100, and a thermal insulation glass module 21 and a first door seal 30 are mainly shown in the projection view. The direction of view in FIG. 5 is also perpendicularly into the main storage compartment of the housing body 3. The indicated outline of the housing body 3 in FIG. 5 does not necessarily represent the dimensional overlap of the door assembly 100 over the housing body 3 or the dimensional relationship between the width/height of the door assembly 100 relative to the housing body 3 of the refrigeration appliance.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sealing portion 213 is annularly configured along the outer edge of the second glass sheet 212 and has a first sealing section 1. When viewed in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the door assembly 100, the first sealing section 1 is located on an outer side of the first door seal 30, so that the sealing portion 213 is at least partially arranged on the outer side of the first door seal 30 at least on an extension scale of the first sealing section 1. In this way, refrigeration capacity in a refrigeration space is effectively prevented from leaking outward through an outer periphery of the sealing portion, and a condensation phenomenon on a front side of the thermal insulation glass module 21 is avoided.

By way of example, as shown in FIG. 5, in a projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly 100, for example, a projection of the first sealing section 1 on an upper side of the sealing portion 213 is located on the outer side of the first door seal 30 and is spaced apart from a projection of the first door seal 30, and a thermal insulation space exists between the first sealing section 1 and the first door seal 30. Heat transfer between the refrigeration space and the first sealing section 1 can be reduced as much as possible through the thermal insulation space, thereby improving a refrigeration effect of a refrigeration device. In addition, for example, a part of the projection of the first sealing section 1 on a lower side of the sealing portion 213 overlaps the projection of the first door seal 30, and the remaining part of the projection of the first sealing section is located on the outer side of the first door seal 30. Certainly, it may also be considered that in the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly 100, the projection of the first sealing section 1 is adjacent to the projection of the first door seal 30. Herein, a relative position relationship between the first sealing section 1 and the first door seal 30 may be determined based on manufacturing and assembly requirements of the thermal insulation glass module 21.

By way of example, as shown in FIG. 5, the first sealing section 1 extends through an entire longitudinal extension scale of at least one side of the sealing portion 213, which allows the sealing section 213 to be easily arranged in the thermal insulation glass module 21 and allows thermal insulation performance to be improved as much as possible at a corresponding side. In particular, the first sealing section 1 extends along an extension scale of the entire perimeter of the sealing portion 213, to provide a uniform and optimized thermal insulation performance of the door assembly 100 on the perimeter.

By way of example, as shown in FIG. 5, the sealing portion 213 may also have a second sealing section 2. In the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly 100, a projection of the second sealing section 2 completely overlaps the projection of the first door seal 30 or a projection of the second sealing section is surrounded by the projection of the first door seal 30. In the framework of the present invention, that “the projection of the second sealing section 2 is surrounded by the projection of the first door seal 30” means that the projection of the second sealing section 2 is partially or completely located on an inner side of the projection of the first door seal 30. Herein, the sealing section 213 is jointly formed by the first sealing section 1 and the second sealing section 2. The first sealing section 1 and the second sealing section 2 may be successively arranged in the at least one side of the sealing portion 213. Herein, the arrangement of the second sealing section 2 depends on actual manufacturing and assembly requirements of the door assembly 100, and allows implementation of a specific functional area of the door assembly 100, for example, a gripping portion or a hinge mechanism for an outer door 20.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a door assembly 100 for a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, a first door frame 11 of an inner door 10 is enclosed to form an inner door cavity 12. The inner door cavity may lead to an inner space of a housing body 3 of a refrigeration appliance or be spaced apart relative to the inner space. A first door seal 30 assembled on a rear side of the first door frame 11 is located on an inner side of a first sealing section 1 of a sealing portion 213 in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the door assembly 100, to cut off a leakage path of refrigeration capacity. The first door frame 11 is provided with a first assembly portion 14 for assembling the first door seal 30. The first assembly portion is provided with at least one fitting recess 141 (in particular a plurality of fitting recesses), and the first door seal 30 is provided with a fitting protrusion 31 fitted into the fitting recess 141. When the first door seal 30 is mounted to the first assembly portion 14, the fitting protrusion 31 of the first door seal 30 is fitted into the fitting recess 141. In this way, the first door seal 30 is firmly mounted to the rear side of the first door frame 11. Herein, the first door seal 30 is annularly configured around the inner door cavity 12, to completely avoid leakage of the refrigeration capacity between the inner door 10 and the housing body in a circumferential direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first door frame 11 of the inner door 10 has a first foaming space 15, and the first foaming space is filled with a thermal insulation foaming material, which can reduce thermal conductivity of the first door frame 11 and improve thermal insulation performance of the inner door 10. Herein, the first foaming space 15 particularly covers an area of the first door seal 30 in a projection plane, thereby eliminating the leakage path of the refrigeration capacity of the inner door 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, an outer door 20 of the door assembly 100 includes a second door frame 22. The second door frame is configured to bear a thermal insulation glass module 21. A first glass sheet 211 on a forefront side of the thermal insulation glass module 21 has a protruding edge 215 relative to a second glass sheet 212 on a rear side of the thermal insulation glass module. The protruding edge is fixedly placed on a bearing flange 25 of the second door frame 22. The second glass sheet 212 on the rear side of the thermal insulation glass module 21 is placed in an accommodation space 26 enclosed by the bearing flange 25, which can increase strength of the outer door 20 and effectively reduce a thickness of the outer door 20.

As shown in FIG. 6, the door assembly 100 further includes a second door seal. The second door seal (216) is configured to sealably close the outer door 20 relative to the first door frame 11 of the inner door 10 when the outer door 20 is closed, thereby preventing the refrigeration capacity in the inner door cavity 12 of the inner door 10 from leaking outward through a gap between the outer door 20 and the inner door 10, so as to improve the refrigeration effect of the refrigeration appliance. Herein, the second door seal (216) is particularly assembled on a rear side of the second door frame 22. The second door frame is provided with a second assembly portion 24 for assembling the second door seal (216), and the second assembly portion surrounds the inner door cavity 12, which allows the second door seal (216) to seal the inner door cavity 12 relative to an external environment in the circumferential direction. In particular, a bottom of the second assembly portion 24 may support the thermal insulation glass module 21, which can provide more support points for the thermal insulation glass module 21 and improve assembly stability of the thermal insulation glass module 21. Herein, in a projection plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the door assembly 100, a projection of the second door seal (216) or the second assembly portion 24 is completely located on an inner side of a projection of the sealing portion 213, so that the second door seal (216) is covered by a thermal insulation space 214 of the thermal insulation glass module 21, thereby effectively preventing leakage of the refrigeration capacity toward the external environment through an outer edge of the sealing portion 213.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second door frame 22 of the outer door 20 has a second foaming space 27. The second foaming space is filled with a thermal insulation foaming material. In the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly 100, the sealing portion 213 is located in an area of the second foaming space 27, to improve thermal insulation performance of the outer door 20.

FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional view showing an inner door 10 of a door assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 7, a first hinge mechanism 13 is arranged between the inner door 10 and the housing body. The inner door 10 is pivotable relative to the housing body through the first hinge mechanism. The first door frame 11 is provided with a first hinge assembly portion 131 for the first hinge mechanism 13. The first hinge assembly portion is implemented as a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft. A first hinge corresponding portion cooperating with the first hinge assembly portion 131 is arranged on the housing body, and the first hinge corresponding portion is correspondingly implemented as the shaft hole or the hinge shaft.

As shown in FIG. 7, the inner door 10 has a first gripping portion 16. A user can easily open and close the inner door 10 through the first gripping portion. The first gripping portion 16 is particularly configured as a first door frame 11 that has an inner recess in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the door assembly 100.

FIG. 8 is a three-dimensional view showing an outer door 20 of a door assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8, the door assembly 100 has a second hinge mechanism 23 arranged between the inner door 10 and the outer door 20. Through the second hinge mechanism, the outer door 20 is pivotable relative to the inner door 10. The second door frame 22 is exemplarily provided with a second hinge assembly portion 231 for the second hinge mechanism 23. The second hinge assembly portion is implemented as a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft, and the first door frame 11 of the inner door 10 is provided with a second hinge corresponding portion that cooperates with the second hinge assembly portion. The second hinge corresponding portion is correspondingly implemented as the shaft hole or the hinge shaft. In particular, the second hinge corresponding portion and the first hinge assembly portion 131 are integrally configured. However, it may also be considered that the second hinge assembly portion 231 of the second hinge mechanism 23 is arranged on the thermal insulation glass module 21 of the outer door 20, particularly on the rear side of the second glass sheet 212, which may eliminate the second door frame 22 for the outer door 20 and minimize the thickness of the outer door 20.

As shown in FIG. 8, the outer door 20 is provided with a second gripping portion 28. The second gripping portion 28 may be configured through an inner recess of the second door frame 22 in a direction parallel to a main extension plane. Herein, the second glass sheet 212 located at the rear of the thermal insulation glass module 21 has an irregular shape, so that the second glass sheet 212 is provided with a relief structure relative to the first glass sheet 211 at a position of the second sealing section 2. A second hinge mechanism 20 for the outer door 23 and/or the second gripping portion 28 may be arranged in the relief structure, which can significantly reduce the thickness of the outer door 20.

By way of example, front door plates are arranged at intervals on a front side of the thermal insulation glass module 21. The thermal insulation glass module 21 is covered by the front door plates, to improve overall appearance of the door assembly 100.

By way of example, the door assembly 100 according to the present invention has a thermal insulation glass module for a refrigeration appliance. The thermal insulation glass module at least includes: a first glass sheet; a second glass sheet located in the rear of the first glass sheet, where the second glass sheet is spaced apart from the first glass sheet; and a sealing portion, where the sealing portion is arranged between the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet and forms a thermal insulation space together with the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet. When viewed in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the thermal insulation glass module, a spacing of an outer edge of the second glass sheet relative to an outer edge of the first glass sheet located on the same side increases at at least one local section, so that the second glass sheet forms at least one relief portion at the local section.

By way of example, the first glass sheet is configured in the shape of a square, especially a rectangle, and/or when viewed in a front-back direction, the first glass sheet completely covers the second glass sheet.

By way of example, the first glass sheet extends beyond the second glass sheet on at least one side by a protruding edge, and/or the first glass sheet is arranged flush with the second glass sheet on the at least one side.

By way of example, at least one of the relief portions is arranged at a corner of the second glass sheet.

By way of example, the relief portion is configured in a stepped manner, and/or a rounded or chamfered transition is formed between the relief portion and an adjacent outer edge of the second glass sheet.

By way of example, the sealing portion moves along the outer edge of the second glass sheet, so that the sealing portion has an annular configuration surrounding the thermal insulation space.

By way of example, a surface of the first glass sheet facing the second glass sheet has a high-temperature ink printing layer, and/or a surface of the second glass sheet facing the first glass sheet has the high-temperature ink printing layer, and/or a surface of the first glass sheet facing away from the second glass sheet has a low-temperature ink printing layer, and/or a surface of the second glass sheet facing away from the first glass sheet has the low-temperature ink printing layer.

By way of example, the thermal insulation glass module is configured as a vacuum glass module. An exhaust hole is provided in the second glass sheet, and the exhaust hole is configured to vacuumize the thermal insulation space. Alternatively, the thermal insulation glass module is configured as a hollow glass module. A thermal insulation space of the hollow glass module is filled with an inert gas, and/or a plurality of spacers are arranged between the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet, and/or the thermal insulation glass module further includes an additional glass sheet. The additional glass sheet is arranged in the rear of the second glass sheet, and is fixedly connected to the second glass sheet through an additional sealing portion.

By way of example, the door assembly 100 includes a hinge mechanism. The door assembly is pivotable relative to the housing body 3 through the hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism is partially arranged in at least one of the relief portions of the second glass sheet of the thermal insulation glass module, and/or a gripping portion for the door assembly is arranged at at least one of the relief portions of the second glass sheet of the door assembly.

By way of example, the hinge mechanism is provided with a hinge mechanism assembly portion. The hinge mechanism assembly portion is implemented as a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft, and is fixed to the rear side of the first glass sheet of the thermal insulation glass module at the relief portion, and/or the gripping portion is formed by the first glass sheet at the relief portion.

By way of example, the door assembly 100 is provided with a door frame. The door frame is configured to bear the thermal insulation glass module. The protruding edge of the first glass sheet of the thermal insulation glass module beyond the second glass sheet abuts against the door frame.

By way of example, the hinge mechanism is fixed to the door frame at the relief portion, and/or the gripping portion is jointly formed by the door frame and the first glass sheet at the relief portion.

By way of example, the door assembly 100 has at least one door seal. In a projection plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the door assembly 100, the door seal is at least partially located on an inner side of the sealing portion of the thermal insulation glass module.

Although specific implementations have been described above, these implementations are not intended to limit the scope disclosed in the present invention, even if a single implementation is described only with respect to specific features. The feature examples provided in the present invention are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, unless otherwise stated. During specific implementation, a plurality of features can be combined with each other according to the actual needs when technically feasible. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, various alternatives, changes, and modifications can also be conceived.

The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:

• • 100 Door assembly
  • 10 Inner door
  • 11 First door frame
  • 12 Inner door cavity
  • 13 First hinge mechanism
  • 131 First hinge assembly portion
  • 14 First assembly portion
  • 141 Fitting recess
  • 15 First foaming space
  • 16 First gripping portion
  • 20 Outer door
  • 21 Thermal insulation glass module
  • 211 First glass sheet
  • 212 Second glass sheet
  • 213 Sealing portion
  • 214 Thermal insulation space
  • 215 Protruding edge
  • 22 Second door frame
  • 23 Second hinge mechanism
  • 231 Second hinge assembly portion
  • 24 Second assembly portion
  • 25 Bearing flange
  • 26 Accommodation space
  • 27 Second foaming space
  • 28 Second gripping portion
  • 1 First sealing section
  • 2 Second sealing section
  • 3 Housing body of refrigeration appliance
  • 30 First door seal
  • 31 Fitting protrusion

Claims

1. A door assembly for a refrigeration appliance, the door assembly being configured to open or close a housing body of the refrigeration appliance, the door assembly comprising: an inner door configured to be pivotably mounted on a front side of the housing body relative to the housing body, said inner door having a first door frame enclosing an inner door cavity;a first door seal disposed on a rear side of said first door frame and configured to sealably close said first door frame relative to the housing body when said inner door is closed; andan outer door pivotably mounted on a front side of said inner door relative to said inner door and configured to selectively open or close said inner door cavity, said outer door having a thermal insulation glass module with at least two glass sheets that are spaced apart from one another, a sealing portion arranged between adjacent said glass sheets, and a thermal insulation space between said glass sheets formed by said sealing portion; andsaid sealing portion having a first sealing section which, viewed in a direction parallel to a main extension plane of the door assembly, is located on an outer side of said first door seal.

2. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is true: in a projection plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the door assembly, a projection of the first sealing section is spaced apart from a projection of said first door seal; orin a projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, the projection of the first sealing section is adjacent to the projection of said first door seal; orin a projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, a part of the projection of said first sealing section overlaps the projection of said first door seal, and a remaining part of the projection of said first sealing section is located on the outer side of said first door seal.

3. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is true: said sealing portion moves along an outer edge of at least one glass sheet of said thermal insulation glass module, so that said sealing portion has an annular configuration surrounding said glass sheet; orsaid sealing portion has a constant width on an entire longitudinal extension scale.

4. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing section extends through an entire longitudinal extension scale of at least one side of said sealing portion.

5. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said sealing portion has a second sealing section; andin the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, a projection of said second sealing section completely overlaps the projection of said first door seal, or a projection of said second sealing section is surrounded by the projection of said first door seal.

6. The door assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the following is true: the door assembly is provided with a second hinge mechanism for said outer door and/or a second gripping portion at a position adjacent to said second sealing section; orsaid sealing portion has said first sealing section and said second sealing section in the at least one side.

7. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first door frame has a first assembly portion for assembling said first door seal, said first assembly portion is provided with at least one fitting recess, and said first door seal is formed with at least one fitting protrusion for fitting into said at least one fitting recess.

8. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is true: said first door frame has a first foaming space filled with a thermal insulation foaming material; orsaid first door frame is provided with a first hinge assembly portion of a first hinge mechanism for said inner door, said first hinge mechanism being configured to be arranged between said inner door and said housing body, and said first hinge assembly portion is a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft; orsaid first door frame has a first gripping portion recessed inwards in the direction parallel to the main extension plane of the door assembly.

9. The door assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a second door seal configured to sealably close said outer door relative to said first door frame when said outer door is closed.

10. The door assembly according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the following is true: said outer door has a second door frame configured to bear said thermal insulation glass module, and said second door seal is assembled on a rear side of said second door frame; orin the projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, a projection of said second door seal is completely located on an inner side of a projection of said sealing portion.

11. The door assembly according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the following is true: a first glass sheet on a forefront side of said thermal insulation glass module has a protruding edge relative to a second glass sheet on a rear side of said thermal insulation glass module, said protruding edge is fixedly placed on a bearing flange of said second door frame, and said glass sheet on the rear side of said thermal insulation glass module is placed in an accommodation space enclosed by said bearing flange; orsaid second door frame is provided with a second assembly portion for assembling said second door seal, said second assembly portion surrounds said inner door cavity, and said second assembly portion particularly supports said thermal insulation glass module; orsaid second door frame is formed with a second foaming space filled with a thermal insulation foaming material, and, in said projection plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door assembly, said sealing portion is located in an area of said second foaming space.

12. The door assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a second hinge mechanism for said outer door arranged between said inner door and said outer door, said second door frame being provided with a second hinge assembly portion of said second hinge mechanism, and a second hinge assembly portion being a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft.

13. The door assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a second hinge mechanism for said outer door arranged between said inner door and said outer door, a second hinge assembly portion of said second hinge mechanism being arranged on a rear side of said thermal insulation glass module of said outer door and being a hinge shaft or a shaft hole for the hinge shaft.

14. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is true: said thermal insulation glass module is a vacuum glass module or a hollow glass module, and the thermal insulation space of said hollow glass module is filled with an inert gas; orfront door plates are arranged at intervals on the front side of said thermal insulation glass module; orsaid thermal insulation glass module comprises said first glass sheet and said second glass sheet, said first glass sheet being located on a front side of said second glass sheet, and said second glass sheet having an irregular shape and having a relief structure at a position corresponding to said second hinge mechanism for at least one of said outer door or said second gripping portion.

15. A refrigeration appliance, comprising a housing body and at least one door assembly according to claim 1 mounted to said housing body.