Household refrigeration appliance with a display and/or control unit

Abstract

A household refrigeration appliance includes a body having a storage compartment disposed therein which is closeable by a terminating element. A display and/or control unit has a cover formed by a plate. A carrier frame is fastened to the rear of the plate and an electronic display and/or control is disposed on the carrier frame.

Claims

1. A household refrigeration appliance, comprising: a body having a storage compartment disposed in said body; a terminating element for closing said storage compartment, said terminating element having a receptacle with first snap on elements; a display and/or control unit having an electronic display and/or control; a cover for said display and/or control unit, said cover formed by a plate having a rear; and a carrier frame fastened to said rear of said plate, said carrier frame having second snap-on elements formed thereon for engaging said display and/or control and fixing said carrier frame to said display and/or control and defining an assembly, said carrier frame having third snap-on elements formed thereon for engaging said first snap on elements and fixing said assembly in said receptacle.

2. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said plate is formed of glass.

3. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said plate is non-detachably connected to said carrier frame.

4. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 3, which further comprises an adhesive bond connecting said plate to said carrier frame.

5. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 4, wherein said adhesive bond is a sealing adhesive bond.

6. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 4, wherein said adhesive bond is formed by a closed porous adhesive tape.

7. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said electronic display and/or control is detachably fastened to said carrier frame.

8. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said second snap-on elements fix said electronic display and/or control and said carrier frame in a first direction and a second direction oriented at right angles to said first direction, and said electronic display and/or control and said carrier frame are mounted with play in a third direction oriented at right angles to said first direction and said second direction.

9. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said plate has a rear side, and at least one spring element presses said electronic display and/or control against said rear side of said plate.

10. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said display and/or control unit is detachably fastened at the household refrigeration appliance.

11. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, which further comprises a seal disposed on said carrier frame.

12. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 11, wherein said seal has a narrow side, and said display and/or control unit is fastened to said narrow side.

13. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 12, which further comprises: a terminating wall at least partially forming said narrow side; said receptacle formed in one piece in said terminating element.

14. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein said terminating element completely forms said narrow side.

15. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein: said plate defines a main extension plane and a projection plane parallel to said main extension plane; a rectangle encloses said plate and has a surface; and a rectangle enclosing said carrier frame in said projection plane corresponds to at least 75% of said surface of said rectangle enclosing said plate.

16. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 15, wherein said rectangle enclosing said carrier frame in said projection plane corresponds to at least 80% of said surface of said rectangle enclosing said plate.

17. The household refrigeration appliance according to claim 15, wherein said rectangle enclosing said carrier frame in said projection plane corresponds to at least 90% of said surface of said rectangle enclosing said plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a household refrigeration appliance according to the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of a drawer front with the display and/or control unit;

(3) FIG. 3 is an exploded, rear-perspective view of the display and/or control unit with a disassembled electronic display and/or control;

(4) FIG. 4 is a rear-perspective view of the display and/or control unit with an assembled electronic display and/or control;

(5) FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the drawer front without a display and/or control unit; and

(6) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a household refrigeration appliance 1, which is embodied to store and conserve food. In the exemplary embodiment the household refrigeration appliance 1 is a refrigerator-freezer. The household refrigeration appliance 1 has a body 2, in which a plurality of separate storage compartments (not shown) for food to be cooled or frozen are formed. An upper storage compartment can be closed or accessed by using two closure elements 3, 4 in the form of doors disposed adjacent one another. Two further storage compartments are disposed below the upper storage compartment and can be closed or accessed by using closure elements 5, 6, in the form of drawers. The two drawers have external handles 7, 8. Each of the drawers includes a drawer front 9, 10 which is coupled in each case with a pull-out mechanism, not shown.

(8) FIG. 2 shows the drawer front 9 of the upper drawer 5. A display and/or control unit 11 according to the present invention is fastened to the drawer front 9 and thus to the drawer 5. For illustration purposes, FIG. 2 shows the display and/or control unit 11 in a non-assembled state and in an exploded representation.

(9) The display and/or control unit 11 includes a plate 12 which is formed of glass and is embodied to be flat, in particular two-dimensional. The plate 12 is rectangular. In this case a width 13 measured in the width direction X and a depth 14 of the plate 12 measured in the depth direction Y are greater by a multiple than a thickness of the plate 12 measured in the height direction Z. The width 13 is approximately four times as large as the depth 14.

(10) The display and/or control unit 11 further includes an adhesive bond 15 which is formed by a closed-porous, two-sided adhesive tape. The adhesive bond 15 has the shape of a rectangular and a closed frame. A width of the adhesive bond 15 measured in the width direction X corresponds in this case to substantially 90% of the width 13 of the plate 12. A depth of the adhesive bond 15 measured in the depth direction Y corresponds in this case to substantially 90% of the depth 14 of the plate 12.

(11) The display and/or control unit 11 further includes a carrier frame 16. The carrier frame 16 is a plastic injection-molded part and has a circumferential and closed frame 19. The carrier frame 16 has a connection surface 17 facing the plate 12. The connection surface 17 is parallel to the main extension plane of the plate 12. The main extension plane of the plate 12 is formed by a plane lying in the X-Y plane. The connection surface 17 has the shape of a closed frame, which bounds the carrier frame 16. The connection surface 17 is embodied on the frame 19. The carrier frame 16 has a cutout 18. The cutout 18 enables an electronic display and/or control, which is accommodated in the carrier frame 16, to be moved to such an extent that contact is made with the plate 12 in the direction of the plate 12. The carrier frame 16 further includes snap-on elements, on one hand for connection with the drawer front 9 and on the other hand for connection with an electronic display and/or control. These snap-on elements are facing away from the plate with respect to the connection surface 17 and project rearward from the frame 19.

(12) The adhesive bond 15 represents a non-detachable connection between the plate 12 and the carrier frame 16 in a non-destructive manner.

(13) The display and/or control unit 11 further includes a sealing element 20, which is formed of foamed polyurethane. The sealing element 20 is formed by a circumferential, closed frame. The sealing element 20 is fastened to the carrier frame 16 by material engagement and in a loss-proof manner.

(14) The display and/or control unit 11 further includes an electronic display and/or control 21. In this exemplary embodiment the electronic display and/or control 21 in turn includes a housing 22 and an electrical terminal 22a. The electronic display and/or control 21 can be connected to a connector 24 of an electrical wire 23 by way of the electrical terminal 22a. The electrical wire 23 extends from a cavity of the drawer front 9 into a receptacle 29. A display module and a control module are disposed in the housing 22. Through the use of the semi-transparent plate 12, a user standing in front of the household refrigeration appliance 1 can perceive the information shown by the display module and perform inputs by way of the control module when the drawer 5 (or opened doors disposed there-above) is partially opened.

(15) The drawer front 9 includes a front wall 25 and a rear wall (not visible in FIG. 2). The front wall 25 and the rear wall are connected by narrow sides 26, 27 of the drawer front 9 and the cavity bounded thereby is filled with insulation material.

(16) The upper narrow side 27 is formed substantially completely by a terminating element 28. The terminating element 28 extends in the width direction X substantially across the entire width of the drawer front 9 and extends in the depth direction Y substantially across the entire depth of the drawer front 9. The terminating element 28 is a plastic injection-molded part. The terminating element 28 has the receptacle 29 for the display and/or control unit 11. The receptacle 29 is embodied in one piece with the terminating part 28. The receptacle 29 represents a depression or trough in the terminating element 28. A width of the receptacle 29 measured in the width direction X corresponds in this case substantially to the width 13 of the plate 12 and a depth of the receptacle 29 measured in the depth direction Y corresponds in this case substantially to the depth 14 of the plate 12. Snap-on elements are embodied in the receptacle 29, onto which the carrier frame 16 and thus the display and/or control unit 11 can be snapped.

(17) The width 13 of the plate 12 corresponds to less than a third of a width of the drawer front 9 measured in the width direction X. The depth 14 of the plate 12 corresponds to more than 90% of a depth of the drawer front 9 measured in the depth direction Y.

(18) FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the display and/or control unit 11 from FIG. 2 with a disassembled electronic display and/or control 21.

(19) The electronic display and/or control 21 has spring bands 30 on two opposing lateral end sections. The electronic display and/or control 21 can be clamped in the width direction X in the carrier frame 16 by using the spring bands 30. As a result, the position of the electronic display and/or control 21 is defined with respect to the carrier frame 16 in the width direction X. The spring bands 30 are embodied in one piece on the housing 22. The spring bands 30 abut clamping surfaces 30a of the carrier frame 16.

(20) Spring elements 31 in the form of helical springs are fastened to the housing 22 in a loss-proof manner. The electronic display and/or control 21 can be supported in the receptacle 29 by using the spring elements 31 and can press against a rear side 32 of the plate 12 through the cutout 18 of the carrier frame 16.

(21) The carrier frame 16 has first snap-on elements 33 in the form of snap-on hooks which are used to fasten the electronic display and/or control 21. In this exemplary embodiment, two first snap-on elements 33 are disposed on two opposing sides of the cutout 18 in each instance. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 4, the first snap-on elements 33 engage behind snap-on edges 34 of the housing 22. The snap-on edges 34 are formed by the edges of the housing 22 itself. The first snap-on elements 33 are embodied so that the electronic display and/or control 21 is detachably connected to the carrier frame 16 in a non-destructive manner. Catch tappets embodied on the first snap-on elements 33 are positioned so that the electronic display and/or control 21 is fixed with play in the height direction Z. The first snap-on elements 33 are disposed on guide sections 35. The first snap-on elements 33 and the guide sections 35 form guide surfaces 36 facing the electronic display and/or control 21, by using which the electronic display and/or control 21 is positioned in the depth direction Y.

(22) The carrier frame 16 has a flange 37, to which the sealing element 20 is fastened, namely foamed, on the outside.

(23) Three snap-on bridges 38 for fastening the display and/or control unit 11 in the receptacle 29 are provided on the carrier frame 16 on two opposing sides in each case. The snap-on bridges 38 each include outwardly directed catch tappets 38a.

(24) The carrier frame 16 includes a wire flashing 39 formed by two holding claws. An overlength of the electrical wire 23 can be clamped below the holding claws and thus kept safe.

(25) The snap-on bridges 38, the first snap-on elements 33, the wire flashing 39 and the electronic display and/or control 21 are disposed within the flange 37 and in particular within the sealing element 20 in a projection display parallel to the main extension direction of the plate 12.

(26) FIG. 5 shows a perspective representation of a cutout of the drawer front 9 without a display and/or control unit 11, in which the receptacle 29 is shown.

(27) The rectangular receptacle 29 has a supporting surface 40 embodied to be circumferentially closed in this exemplary embodiment. The supporting surface 40 is embodied substantially parallel to a surface 41 of the terminating element 28 which encloses the receptacle 29. The supporting surface 40 serves, as in particular identified in FIG. 6, to provide an end stop for the carrier frame 16. In particular, the frame 19 of the carrier frame 16 and the supporting surface 40 overlap. When the display and/or control unit 11 is assembled, damage to the electronic display and/or control 21 can be avoided by using this end stop, for instance.

(28) A sealing seat 42 is embodied in the height direction Z below the supporting surface 40. A defined contact surface can be provided for the sealing element 20 by using the sealing seat 42 (see also FIG. 6).

(29) Second snap-on elements 43 in the form of catch tappets are embodied in the receptacle 29. The two snap-on elements 43 are disposed on two opposing sides of the receptacle 29.

(30) Starting from a base 44 of the receptacle 29, projections 45 are provided which embody supporting surfaces for the spring elements 31.

(31) A wire bushing 46 is disposed in the base 44. The wire bushing 46 has a pipe connection 47 which extends away from the plate 12 starting from the base 44 (see also FIG. 6).

(32) FIG. 6 shows a section along the line VI-VI from FIG. 5, but with an inserted display and/or control unit 11.

(33) The display and/or control unit 11 is shown in a state in which it is pressed downward by a force acting against the height direction Z (for instance during assembly). In this state an outer surface 48 of the plate 12 and the surface 41 enclosing the plate 12 are furthermore substantially flush. It is only when there is no force acting against the height direction Z on the display and/or control unit 11 that the spring elements 31 cause the display and/or control unit 11 to be pushed upward in the height direction X and the first snap-on bridges 38 with the second snap-on elements 43 (in particular catch tappets embodied on both elements) ensure an end position in the height direction Z. In this end position, the outer surface 48 is flush with the surface 41.

(34) A rear wall 49 bounds a cavity 50 of the drawer front 9, inter alia together with the front wall 25 and the terminating element 28. The cavity 50 is filled with insulation material 51. The electrical wire 53 running in the cavity 50 is guided into the receptacle 29 by the wire bushing 46. A seal 52 with which the drawer front 9 is sealed relative to the body 2 is disposed on the rear wall 49.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(35) 1 household refrigeration appliance

(36) 2 body

(37) 3, 4, 5, 6 closure element

(38) 7, 8 handle

(39) 9, 10 drawer front

(40) 11 display and/or control unit

(41) 12 plate

(42) 13 width

(43) 14 depth

(44) 15 adhesive bond

(45) 16 carrier frame

(46) 17 connection surface

(47) 18 cutout

(48) 19 frame

(49) 20 sealing element

(50) 21 electronic display and/or control

(51) 22 housing

(52) 22a electrical terminal

(53) 23 electrical wire

(54) 24 connector,

(55) 25 front wall

(56) 26, 27 narrow sides

(57) 28 terminating element

(58) 29 receptacle

(59) 30 spring band

(60) 30a adhesive surface

(61) 31 spring element

(62) 32 rear side

(63) 33 first snap-on element

(64) 34 snap-on edge

(65) 35 guide section

(66) 36 guide surface

(67) 37 flange

(68) 38 snap-on bridge

(69) 39 wire flashing

(70) 40 supporting surface

(71) 41 surface

(72) 42 sealing seat

(73) 43 second snap-on element

(74) 44 base

(75) 45 projection

(76) 46 wire bushing

(77) 47 pipe connection

(78) 48 outer surface

(79) 49 rear wall

(80) 50 cavity

(81) 51 insulation material

(82) 52 seal

(83) 53 electrical wire