This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of Turkish Patent Application TR 2022/017042, filed Nov. 10, 2022; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a household appliance, particularly a cooling appliance, including a body with an outer wall facing outside, an inner wall spaced apart from the outer wall, and one or more system components located between the walls.
Household appliances, in particular cooling appliances, include various components such as electrical components or system components such as cooling system components. Those components can have complex assemblies and connections. Therefore, during the mounting process of the appliances or in any maintenance operation, reaching the components is not as easy as possible.
European Patent Application EP3757484A1 discloses a refrigerator appliance including an evaporator that, together with a compressor and a condenser, forms a closed cooling circuit wherein a refrigerant fluid is made to circulate. The condenser is configured as a skin condenser and includes a serpentine tube associated with a thermally conductive layer. The thermally conductive layer is made up of a plurality of plates disposed in such a way that a tail portion of a first plate is superimposed to and connected with a front portion of a second plate. Straight portions of the serpentine tube are clinched between the two plates at their connection interface. A defrost water drainpipe, typically used to drain condensation water from the evaporator, is disposed in thermal exchange contact with the skin condenser.
The present invention provides an additional improvement, an additional advantage or an alternative to the prior art.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a household appliance, particularly a cooling appliance, including a body having a component housing, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known appliances of this general type and which has system components that are easy-to-reach whenever there is a need for access.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a household appliance, particularly a cooling appliance, comprising a body with an outer wall facing outside, an inner wall spaced apart from the outer wall, and one or more system components located between the walls.
The household appliance further includes an external component housing which is provided inside the body and has an access opening for reaching at least a portion of the respective system components from outside.
Thus, at least a portion of the system components can easily be accessed from outside and the mounting process or maintenance operation can be done more quickly and easily. Moreover, the labor costs of the mounting process of the household appliance are reduced.
Here, the system components can be any kind of cooling or electrical system components.
The cooling system components can be pipes or tubes through which a hot fluid, cold fluid or a gas passes.
The electrical system components can be the electrical cables of the electrical components.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the component housing is disposed as a box-shaped structure.
Thus, both at least a portion of the system components can easily be accessed from outside, and the portion of the system component inside the component housing is prevented from being exposed to an insulation material provided between the inner wall and the outer wall.
The component housing may have a rear wall in the sense of a bottom wall. Further, the component housing may have side walls, e.g. four side walls, which may reach up from the bottom wall.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, an access cutout is configured on the outer wall so to correspond to the access opening.
Thus, at least a portion of the system components can easily be accessed from outside and the mounting process or maintenance operation can be done more quickly and easily.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the component housing includes a connection frame which is substantially parallel to the outer wall.
Thus, the external component housing connects to the outer wall. Here, the connection frame can be connected to the outer wall via a kind of connection element such as a screw, or an adhesive element such as a kind of double-sided tape.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the connection frame includes one or more connection holes for connecting the component housing to the outer wall.
Thus, the connection frame connects to the outer wall via a kind of connection element such as a screw.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the component housing includes one or more system component fixation devices for fixing the respective system components on a rear wall of the component housing which is opposite to the access opening.
Thus, the system components become stable inside the component housing. Therefore, possible undesirable movements of the system components are prevented.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the system components are conduits, in particular pipes, through which a fluid passes, and each of the system component fixation devices are shaped and sized with respect to the respective system components so as to at least partially encircle the respective system components in a tight-fit manner.
Thus, the conduits of a cooling system securely connect to the component housing.
Here, the pipes can be pipes of the skin condenser or pipes of the frame heater of the cooling appliance. Such kinds of pipes can be used on the cooling appliance e.g. for preventing condensation on the walls of the body and for easily opening the doors.
Here, any kind of fluid or gas, particularly a coolant or a heating fluid, can pass through the conduits, in particular pipes/tubes.
Here, the pipes/tubes can be the pipes/tubes of a condenser such as a skin condenser or a heater, such as a frame heater.
In particular, the household appliance can include two system components or three system components or four system components. By placing one or more system components at least partially within the external component housing, access to the one or more system components can be easily achieved. In particular, when there are two, three, four or more system components, the assembly or maintenance of the household appliance can be simplified, since access at one distinct area for these system components is achieved.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, two system components each having an end portion are joined or connected to each other within the component housing at their respective end portions. Leading the end portions of two system components into the component housing improves the assembly and maintenance of the household appliance, since the process of joining them can be done conveniently. The two system components may enter the component housing via two opposing walls of the component housing (e.g. two opposing side walls). In particular, all system components may enter the component housing on the very same two opposing walls. In that case, conduits acting as system components can be parallel or at least substantially parallel to each other. In the case that the system components are conduits of a cooling cycle (e.g. pipes of a frame heater, pipes of a skin condenser, etc.) the end portions of two system components can be joined by using glue or can be welded to each other or can be joined to each other using a locking ring process. The locking ring process includes an additional locking ring which is in turn connected (e.g. using glue or welding) to each end of the two conduits.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, one or more cutouts are disposed on side walls of the component housing where the respective conduits enter into the component housing, and one or more sealing members are provided in the respective cutouts so as to surround the respective conduits.
Thus, the regions of the component housing where the conduits enter the conduit housing are sealed with respect to the body, e.g. sealed with respect to an insulation cavity of the body filled with thermal insulation material (e.g. polyurethane foam). Therefore, the inner side or interior of the component housing is prevented from being exposed to the insulation material of the body provided between the inner wall and the outer wall.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, an external cover element is provided so as to be attached to the component housing in a detachable manner for selectively covering the access opening.
Thus, the system components located inside the component housing cannot be seen from outside. In other words, the access opening is aesthetically covered.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, one or more attachment devices are provided on the cover element so as to be attached to the corresponding attachment grooves of the component housing.
Thus, the cover element can be detachably connected to the component housing.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the cover element includes one or more support devices which abut the rear wall of the component housing, when the cover element is attached to the component housing.
Thus, the rear wall of the component housing is being supported against the pressure of the insulation material of the body. Therefore, due to the pressure applied by the insulation material to the rear wall of the component housing, possible deformations of the rear wall of the component housing are prevented.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, each of the upper attachment devices have a flexible arm defining a detaching surface for detaching the respective upper attachment devices from the corresponding upper attachment grooves by applying an external force. Thus, the cover element can be detached from the component housing in an easy manner.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the system components are the electrical system components, in particular the electrical cables.
Thus, at least a portion of the electrical system components can easily be accessed from outside and the mounting process or maintenance operation can be done more quickly and easily.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the component housing is provided at a rear side of the household appliance which is opposite to a front side where at least one door is provided.
Thus, the component housing is disposed at the rear side which faces away from the visible front side of the household appliance. Therefore, the component housing arrangement does not adversely affect the aesthetic appearance of the household appliance.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the component housing is provided at an approximately middle region of the household appliance between the mutual sidewalls of the body.
Thus, the tubes/pipes of the system that can have a layout at the opposite sides of the appliance can be connected to each other in the most convenient region of the appliance.
Here, the component housing arrangement can be provided at an approximately lower middle region of the household appliance which is closer to the ground whereon the household appliance stands, or at an approximately upper middle region of the household appliance which faces away from the ground.
Here, the wording “middle region” means the region of the household appliance that faces away from both of the sidewalls of the body.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the component housing may be embedded into an insulation cavity of the body, whereas the insulation cavity is bounded by outer walls of the body and an inner liner which delimits a storage compartment. In particular, a bottom wall or rear wall as well as the side walls of the component housing, may delimit the interior of the component housing from the insulation cavity.
In this context, the indications “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward,” “downward,” “inner,” “outer,” “inward,” “outward,” etc. are positions and orientations given for intended use and intended arrangement of the household appliance and for a user standing in front of the household appliance when in a closed position and viewing in the direction of the appliance.
Each possible embodiment disclosed in this text can be combined with the other possible embodiments disclosed in this text if there is not any technical constraint.
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 household appliance including a body having a component housing, 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.
In this detailed description, the subject matter is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect only in order to make the subject more understandable.
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to
With reference to
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the component housing 9 includes one or more system component fixation devices 13a-13f for fixing the respective system components 8a-8f. In more detail, the first system component fixation device 13a is provided for fixing the first system component 8a, the second system component fixation device 13b is provided for fixing the second system component 8b, the third system component fixation devices 13c is provided for fixing the third system component 8c, the fourth system component fixation device 13d is provided for fixing the fourth system component 8d, the fifth system component fixation device 13e is provided for fixing the fifth system component 8e, and the sixth system component fixation devices 13f is provided for fixing the sixth system component 8f. The system component fixation devices 13a-13f are disposed on a rear wall 14 of the component housing which is opposite to the access opening 10. In a possible embodiment, each of the system component fixation devices 13a-13f are shaped and sized with respect to the respective system components 8a-8f so as to at least partially encircle the respective system components 8a-8f in a tight-fit manner. The system component fixation devices 13a-13f are configured as a protrusion having a receiving section so as to at least partially encircle the respective system components 8a-8f in a tight-fit manner. Preferably, each of the system components have a substantially circular cross-section and receiving sections of each of the system component fixation devices 13a-13f have a substantially C-shape.
As shown in
In a possible embodiment of the invention, as shown in
The attaching process of the cover element 18 to the component housing 9 is as follows:
Firstly, the lower side of the cover element 18 is positioned so that the cover element 18 partially covers the access opening 10 at a first position. Here, the first position means that the cover element 18 is at an angled position with respect to the outer wall 3. In more detail, at the first position, the first lower attachment device 19c attaches to the first lower attachment groove 20c, and simultaneously the second lower attachment device 19d attaches to the second lower attachment groove 20d. Secondly, the cover element 18 is pivoted towards the access opening 10. Thirdly, when the cover element 18 completely covers the access opening 10 at a second position, the first flexible arm 24a flexes and the first upper attachment device 19a attaches to the first upper attachment groove 20a and simultaneously the second flexible arm 24b flexes and the second upper attachment device 19b attaches to the second upper attachment groove 20b, as seen in
The detaching process of the cover element 18 from the component housing 9 is as follows:
Firstly, when the external force EF is applied to the respective flexible arms 24a, 24b as seen in
As can be seen in
The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2022/017042 | Nov 2022 | TR | national |