DOMESTIC APPLIANCE WITH A LAMP FOR ILLUMINATING A RECESSED HANDLE OF A DOOR

Abstract

A domestic appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, has a lamp for illuminating a recessed handle of a door. The recessed handle has a recess. The door has a light-guide element in the recess and the door also has a light source for illumination into the light-guide body at least on a front end of the light-guide body.

Claims

1. A domestic appliance, comprising: a door, containing: a recessed handle with a recess formed therein; a lamp for illuminating said recessed handle; a light-guide body disposed in said recess and having at least one front end; and a light source disposed at least at said one front end of said light-guide body for illumination into said light-guide body.

2. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said light source has an LED.

3. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said lamp has optics for coupling light from said light source into said light-guide body.

4. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said light-guide body has a surface having a light out-coupling structure with light out-coupling elements for deflecting light.

5. The domestic appliance according to claim 4, wherein said light out-coupling elements are disposed on a front side of said light-guide body which faces an open side of said recessed handle or on an opposing rear side of said light-guide body.

6. The domestic appliance according to claim 4, wherein said light out-coupling elements are unevenly distributed across a length of said light-guide body.

7. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said light-guide body is glued into said recess of said recessed handle.

8. The domestic appliance according to claim 7, wherein said light-guide body is glued on a rear side or on at least one side surface in said recess of said recessed handle.

9. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said light-guide body is manufactured using an extrusion method.

10. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said door has a structural element; and further comprising a module connected using catch means to said structural element of said door, said light source is disposed in said module.

11. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said door has an end face and said recessed handle is disposed on said end face of said door.

12. The domestic appliance according to claim 11, wherein: said door has two opposing end faces; said recessed handle is one of two recessed handles, one of said recessed handles disposed in each of said opposing end faces; said door has door hinges close to one of said end faces; and said lamp is disposed on one of said end faces opposing said door hinges or said lamp is disposed on each of said two end faces.

13. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said light source is a multi-color light source.

14. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said light source can generate a spatially and/or temporally variable light path.

15. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor which can switch on said light source.

16. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein the domestic appliance is a domestic refrigeration appliance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a refrigeration appliance according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a recessed handle on a door according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0031] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the recessed handle on the door according to a further embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 4 is a schematic, side view of an end face of the door of the refrigeration appliance according to one embodiment of the invention; and

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a schematic, perspective view of a lamp when assembled in the recessed handle on the door according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] In the figures configurations which are independent of one another are realized in the same embodiment for the sake of conciseness. The configurations show, as a domestic appliance, a refrigerator with a storage space for refrigerated goods and a storage space for frozen goods; combinations with further storage spaces, for instance for vegetables, are also covered by the invention.

[0035] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a refrigeration appliance 10, representing a domestic appliance, with a refrigerator compartment door 12 to a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment door 14 to a freezer compartment. The refrigeration appliance 10 has a hinge side 16 and an opposing door opening side 18. The refrigerator compartment door 12 has a recessed handle 20, which can be illuminated with a lamp, both on the door opening side 18 and also on the hinge side 16. The freezer compartment door 14 has a recessed handle 22, which can be illuminate with a lamp, both on the door opening side 18 and also on the hinge side 16.

[0036] Each recessed handle 20, 22 has a light source at both ends, so that the entire recessed handle 20, 22 is illuminated as evenly as possible. On account of the configuration with two recessed handles on each door, the refrigeration appliance 10 has a symmetrical shape as shown, even if the door hinge side is possibly swapped. The light source can optionally be operated such that only the recessed handles on the door opening side 18 are illuminated or that the recessed handles on both door sides 16, 18 are illuminated.

[0037] The domestic appliance has a proximity sensor which can switch on the lamp.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a recessed handle 30 on a door 32.

[0039] The recessed handle 30 has pronounced edges 34, 35 toward an end face 36 of the door 32.

[0040] The refrigeration appliance 10 has a lamp 38 in the door 32 for illuminating the recessed handle 30. The lamp 38 contains a light source assembly 40 and a light-guide body 42. The light source assembly 40 has a light source and serves to hold and provide an electrical connection to the light source, here an LED. The LED illuminates from the light source assembly 40 into the light-guide body 42. The light source assembly 40 and thus the light source is arranged in the door on at least one front end 43 of the light-guide body 42 for illumination into the light-guide body.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a recessed handle 44 on a door 46 in a schematic cross-section, wherein in this illustration the recessed handle 44 has rounded edges 47, 48 toward the end face 49 of the door 46. A light-guide body 50 is inserted into a recess 52 of the recessed handle 44. In this example, the light-guide body 50 is glued into the recess 52 on a rear side 53. The light-guide body 50 has a light out-coupling structure with light out-coupling elements for deflecting light toward a front side 54 of the light-guide body 50. The light out-coupling elements out-couple light in the direction of the arrows 56. One part of the light out-coupled in the direction of the arrows 56 strikes the walls 58 of the recessed handle 44 and thus illuminates the recessed handle 44. The walls 58 of the recessed handle 44 converge in the direction of the interior of the door 46.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows an end face 60 of a door 61 of a refrigeration appliance 62, wherein the door 61 has a seal 63, which abuts a housing 66 of the refrigeration appliance 62. The door 61 has a recessed handle 64, the side walls 65, 66 of which form rounded edges 67, 68 with the end face 60 of a door 61. The door 61 also has a cover strip 70.

[0043] The door 61 has a lamp 71, which contains a light source assembly 72 and a light-guide body 78. The light source assembly 72 is arranged behind the cover strip 70. The light source assembly 72 supports a light source 73, here an LED 75 on a printed circuit board 74. The LED 75 emits light, which couples via optics 76 into a light-guide body 78. The light-guide body 78 is arranged in a recess 80 of the recessed handle 64, namely glued on side walls of the light-guide body 78 to side walls 82 of the recess 80. The light source assembly 72 and thus the light source 73 is arranged in the door 61 on at least one front end 83 of the light-guide body 78 for illumination into the light-guide body.

[0044] The light of the LED 75 coupled into the light-guide body 78 is deflected on unevenly distributed light out-coupling elements 84 on a rear side of the light-guide body 78 and exits from the front of the light-guide body 78 in various lateral directions, with part of it striking the side walls 65, 66 of the recessed handle 64 and thus illuminating the recessed handle 64.

[0045] The light source may be a multi-color light source, for instance with a multi-color LED or a number of different-colored LEDs.

[0046] The light source may preferably generate a spatially or temporally variable light path. A spatially variable light path can be obtained by actuating a number of LEDs at different times. A temporally variable light path can be realized simply by suitable actuation of one LED.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of a lamp 90 being assembled in a recessed handle 91 on a door 92. The lamp 90 contains a light source assembly 94 and a light-guide body 96.

[0048] During assembly of the door 92, the light source assembly 94 embodied as a module 93 is introduced into the door 92 in the direction of arrow 95 and when an end position is reached locks with a structural element of the door. Here electrical contacts of the light source assembly 94 make contact with the electrical terminal of the light source.

[0049] The light-guide body 96 manufactured using an extrusion method is introduced into the door 92 in the direction of the arrow 97 and adheres to the door when an end position is reached.

[0050] The figures clarify various embodiments of a domestic appliance having a door with a recessed handle, wherein the door has a lamp for illuminating the recessed handle, and the recessed handle has a recess, wherein the door has a light-guide body in the recess, and wherein, at least at one front end of the light-guide body, the door also has a light source for illumination into the light-guide body.

[0051] All features shown and explained in conjunction with the individual embodiments of the invention can be provided in a different combination in the inventive subject matter in order at the same time to realize their advantageous effects.

[0052] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0053] 10 Refrigeration appliance [0054] 12 Refrigerator compartment door [0055] 14 Freezer compartment door [0056] 16 Hinge side [0057] 18 Door opening side [0058] 20, 22 Recessed handle [0059] 30 Recessed handle [0060] 32 Door [0061] 34, 35 Edges [0062] 36 End face [0063] 38 Lamp [0064] 40 Light source assembly [0065] 42 Light-guide body [0066] 43 Front end [0067] 44 Recessed handle [0068] 45 Suction pipe [0069] 46 Aluminum film [0070] 47, 48 Edges [0071] 49 End face [0072] 50 Light-guide body [0073] 52 Recess [0074] 54 Front side [0075] 56 Arrows [0076] 58 Walls [0077] 60 End face [0078] 61 Door [0079] 63 Seal [0080] 64 Recessed handle [0081] 65, 66 Side walls [0082] 67, 68 Edges [0083] 70 Cover strip [0084] 71 Lamp [0085] 72 Light source assembly [0086] 73 Light source [0087] 74 Printed circuit board [0088] 75 LED [0089] 76 Optics [0090] 78 Light-guide body [0091] 80 Recess [0092] 82 Side walls [0093] 83 Front end [0094] 84 Light out-coupling elements [0095] 90 Lamp [0096] 91 Recessed handle [0097] 92 Door [0098] 93 Module [0099] 94 Light source assembly [0100] 95 Arrow [0101] 96 Light-guide body [0102] 97 Arrows