Method For Producing A Domestic Appliance Component In A Combined Injection Molding Process Involving Thin-Wall Injection Molding And Cascade Injection Molding And Domestic Appliance Component

Abstract

A method for producing a household appliance component for a household appliance includes producing the household appliance component from plastic by injection molding. The injection molding is carried out at least in some phases in a combined injection molding process involving thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding. At least a partial region, which is formed as a hollow body, of the household appliance component is produced by the combined injection molding process. A household appliance component is also provided.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method for producing a household appliance component for a household appliance, the method comprising the following steps: producing the household appliance component from plastic by injection molding carried out at least in some phases as a combined injection molding process including thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding; and forming at least one partial region as a hollow body of the household appliance component produced by the combined injection molding process.

16. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises carrying out the thin-wall injection molding with a wall-thickness-flow length ratio of greater than 1:200.

17. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises carrying out the thin-wall injection molding with a wall-thickness-flow length ratio between greater than 1:200 and 1:300.

18. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises producing walls bounding the hollow body by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding providing a wall thickness of less than 1.5 mm.

19. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises producing walls bounding the hollow body by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding providing a wall thickness of between 0.6 mm and 1 mm.

20. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises producing the hollow body as an elongate bar.

21. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises producing the hollow body in a bar shape, and producing two of the walls as two side walls of the bar shape of the hollow body having free ends produced by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding being spaced apart by a distance smaller than or equal to 14 mm.

22. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises producing the hollow body in a bar shape, and producing two of the walls as two side walls of the bar shape of the hollow body having free ends produced by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding being spaced apart by a distance of between 11 mm and 14 mm.

23. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises producing the hollow body in a bar shape, and producing two of the walls as two side walls of the bar shape of the hollow body having ends opening onto a base wall with a groove shape by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding providing a spacing distance between the two side walls being smaller than or equal to 7 mm.

24. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises producing the hollow body in a bar shape, and producing two of the walls as two side walls of the bar shape of the hollow body having ends opening onto a base wall with a groove shape by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding providing a spacing distance between the two side walls of between 5 mm and 6.5 mm.

25. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises: producing one of the walls as a side wall having an outer side and a free end; producing a further partial region of the household appliance component opening onto the free end and having an outer side; and producing a transition between the outer side of the side wall and the outer side of the further partial region by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding having a radius smaller than or equal to 1.5 mm,

26. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises: producing one of the walls as a side wall having an outer side and a free end; producing a further partial region of the household appliance component opening onto the free end and having an outer side; and producing a transition between the outer side of the side wall and the outer side of the further partial region by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding having a radius of between 1 mm and 1.5 mm.

27. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises: producing the walls as a base wall having an outer side and a front wall having an outer side, the front wall being formed in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the hollow body at one end of the hollow body, the front wall opening onto the base wall and the front wall having a free end; producing a further partial region of the household appliance component opening onto the free end of the front wall and having an outer side; and producing a transition by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding at least one of: between the outer side of the front wall and the outer side of the base wall with a radius smaller than or equal to 2.5 mm, or between the outer side of the front wall and the outer side of the further partial region with a radius smaller than or equal to 1.0 mm.

28. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises: producing the walls as a base wall having an outer side and a front wall having an outer side, the front wall being formed in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the hollow body at one end of the hollow body, the front wall opening onto the base wall and the front wall having a free end; producing a further partial region of the household appliance component opening onto the free end of the front wall and having an outer side; and producing a transition by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding at least one of: between the outer side of the front wall and the outer side of the base wall with a radius of between 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm, or between the outer side of the front wall and the outer side of the further partial region with a radius of between 0.4 mm and 1.0 mm.

29. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises producing one of the walls as a side wall having an outer side with a receiving structure or a holding lug facing away from a hollow region of the hollow body and being produced by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding.

30. The method according to claim 18 which further comprises producing at least one reinforcing rib in a hollow region of the hollow body by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding.

31. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises producing the household appliance component with a trough-shape or a trough base as a partial region of the household appliance component including a quadrangular planar region having at least one of a first side length or width of at least 30 cm or a second side length or height of at least 25 cm on which the hollow body is formed in one piece by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding.

32. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises producing the household appliance component in one piece as an inner lining of a door for a household refrigeration appliance by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding.

33. In a household appliance, the improvement comprising: a household appliance component having at least some combined thin-wall injection molded and cascade injection molded plastic phases; and at least one partial region formed as a hollow body of the combined injection molded household appliance component.

Description

[0062] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to schematic drawings, which show:

[0063] FIG. 1 a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a household appliance according to the invention with an embodiment of a household appliance component according to the invention;

[0064] FIG. 2 a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a household appliance component;

[0065] FIG. 3 a perspective view of a partial region of FIG. 2;

[0066] FIG. 4 a sectional view of a partial region of the household appliance component according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 in the region of a hollow body of the household appliance component; and

[0067] FIG. 5 a further sectional view of the household appliance component in the region of the hollow body.

[0068] In the figures, elements that are the same or have the same functions are given the same reference characters.

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a perspective simplified view of a household appliance 1, which is a household refrigeration appliance and can, for example, be a refrigerator or a freezer or a combined refrigerator-freezer. The household appliance 1 is formed to receive foodstuffs and has a housing 2 in which a corresponding receiving space 3 is formed. The receiving space 3 is bounded by walls of an inner container 2a. At the front, the receiving space 3 can be sealed by a door 4 that is arranged swivel-mounted on the housing 2. The door 4 has a multi-part structure and has an outer door 5 and an inner door, which represents an inner lining 6. The inner lining 6 is a visible component of the door 4 and hence an external component. When the door 4 is closed, this inner lining 6 faces the receiving space 3. This inner lining 6 is formed in one piece from plastic and represents a trough-like household appliance component. Inserted between the outer door 5 and the inner lining 6, at least in regions, is a thermally insulating material, in particular an insulating foam, which is present but not visible as it is covered by the outer door 5 and the inner lining 6.

[0070] In addition, other components, for example at least one door rack, which is not shown, can also be arranged on the inner lining 6.

[0071] The household appliance component in the form of the trough-like inner lining 6 is produced by injection molding, wherein, during this injection molding, at least at times during the manufacturing process, a combined injection molding process is carried out. To this end, at least in some phases, thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding are carried out. Herein, thin-wall injection molding is in particular carried out with a wall thickness-flow length ratio of greater than 1:200, in particular between greater than 1:200 and 1:300.

[0072] As can be identified from the schematic view in FIG. 1 the dimensions of the household appliance component predominantly involve a planar or substantially planar surface planar region, which here is formed by a trough base 7 of a trough-shaped base part of the inner lining 6.

[0073] In the exemplary embodiment shown, preferably two elongate bars 8 and 9 that are oriented as raised from the planar surface are arranged on this trough base 7. The bars 8, 9 are formed on an outer side facing away from the trough interior and hence extend facing away from this trough interior. These two bars 8 and 9 are in particular formed in straight lines and the arrangement on the door 4 is orientated in the height-wise direction. The bars 8 and 9 are co-produced in one piece on the inner lining 6 during this combined injection molding process. When the door 4 is closed, these two bars 8 and 9 extend in the direction of the receiving space 3. They can be formed substantially over the entire height of the inner lining 6 or also only in partial sections thereof. The two bars 8 and 9 are formed parallel to one another and formed on opposite side regions of the inner lining 6. The bars 8 and 9 are formed as hollow toward the side facing away from the receiving space 3 and hence with the embodiment of the door 4 facing the outer door 5. Hence, the hollow bodies in this respect in the form of the bars 8 and 9 are also formed open toward this outer door 5.

[0074] Therefore, the bars 8 and 9 represent groove-shaped hollow bodies and are correspondingly produced by the combined injection molding process.

[0075] In particular, the bars 8 and 9, preferably the entire inner lining 6, are produced by injection molding, wherein here, at least in some phases, a combined injection molding process is carried out as a thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding and with this combined injection molding process at least one partial region formed as a hollow body of the household appliance component is produced and hence the bars 8 and 9 of the inner lining 6 are produced correspondingly. Hence, the combined injection molding process includes the two different individual injection molding techniques, namely thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding.

[0076] These elevated and shape-specific bars 8 and 9 can then form receivers for further separate components, which can be attached to the inner lining 6. In particular, a door rack can be fastened to these bars 8 and 9. Another type of attachment of a door rack, for example on the actual trough base 7 is then not provided. These bars 8 and 9 provide a simple and yet mechanically stable fastening option for such other types of components.

[0077] As can be identified in the enlarged view of the inner lining 6 in FIG. 2, to this end it can be provided that at least one additional structure or additional element is integrally formed on a boundary wall 10 of a bar 8 in order provide a more advantageous fastening of a further component, in particular a door rack. In particular, this additional element can be a receiving structure, which is in particular a holding lug 11. In FIG. 2, two holding lugs 11 and 12 are molded onto this boundary wall or side wall 10 by way of example.

[0078] FIG. 3 shows a partial view of the inner lining 6 according to FIG. 2. Here, the view shows the elongate bar 8 formed as a hollow body. This bar 8 comprises a side wall 10 facing the opposite bar 9 and a further, separate side wall 13.

[0079] As can be identified in a sectional view along the line of intersection IV-IV in FIG. 3, in the view in FIG. 4, these side walls 10 and 13 are oriented relative to one another so that they bound a hollow region 14 of the bar 8 formed as a hollow body. Both side walls 10 and 13 are produced with a wall thickness d of less than 1.5 mm, in particular between 0.6 mm and 1 mm, by the combined injection molding process with thin-wall injection molding and cascade injection molding.

[0080] As a result of the combined injection molding process, it is not only possible that such thin-walled structures, in particular with such complex-shaped and hollow partial regions of the household appliance component can be provided, but this molded structure in the form of the hollow body can also be designed with a very narrow width. For example, it is provided with the embodiment shown here that the combined injection molding process also enables a distance a1 measured between a free end 15 of the first side wall 10 and a free end 16 of the second side wall 13 to be smaller than or equal to 14 mm, in particular between 11 mm and 14 mm. The free end 15 of the first side wall 10 opens onto the trough base 7, while the free end 16 of the outer side wall 13 opens onto a side flange 17 of the trough shape.

[0081] The two side walls 10 and 13 of this hollow shape of the hollow body open at opposite ends to these free ends 15 and 16 onto a base wall 18 further bounding the hollow body. The base wall 18 closes the groove shape. The combined injection molding process enables a distance a2 between these side walls 10 and 13 at this opening onto the base wall 18 and hence so-to-speak also a corresponding extension of the base wall 18 between these two side walls 10 and 13 can be produced smaller than or equal to 7 mm, in particular between 5 mm and 6.5 mm. A further distance a3 measured between a free end 15, 16 of a side wall 10, 13 and an end of a side wall 10, 13 opening onto base wall 18 is here preferably smaller than 40 mm and greater than 30 mm, in particular between 35 mm and 40 mm. Hence, such an embodiment enables a very narrow hollow bar 8 to be formed. In particular, here the ratio between the bar width, and hence in particular the distance a2, to the bar height, and hence in particular distance a3, is greater than 1:4. Such narrow hollow structures with the wall thicknesses named as preferable can in particular only be produced by this combined injection molding process, as mentioned above.

[0082] As can also be identified in FIG. 3 and plotted in FIG. 4, a radius r1 between an outer side of the side wall 10, which is hence facing away from the hollow region 14, and an outer side of the trough base 7 facing the elongate bar 8 is smaller than or equal to 1.5 mm, in particular between 1 mm and 1.5 mm. Hence, such a transition 19 between the side wall 10 and the trough base 7 is produced with a very small radius, which is in particular only enabled by this combined injection molding process. It can also be identified that, at a further transition 20 formed between outer sides of the base wall 18 and the side wall 10, and also in particular between the base wall 18 and the side wall 13, a further very small radius r2 is created, which is produced smaller than 2.5 mm, in particular between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, preferably between 1.8 mm and 2.2 mm.

[0083] As can be identified in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, bar 8 in particular extends in a straight line and comprises a longitudinal axis A. In the direction of this longitudinal axis A, the hollow region 14 is closed at both a first end 21 and a second end 22, wherein here in each case front walls 23 and 24 are formed. The combined injection molding process advantageously also enables a radius r3 formed between a free end of the front wall 23 facing away from the base wall 18 and in particular the flange 17 to be produced smaller than or equal to 1.0 mm, in particular between 0.4 mm and 1.0 mm, preferably between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. Here, once again this radius measure relates to the outer sides of the front wall 23 facing away from the hollow region 14 and the outer side of the flange 17. This front wall 23 also has a wall thickness of less than 1.5 mm, in particular between 0.6 mm and 1 mm.

[0084] In a further advantageous embodiment, the combined injection molding process creates at least one reinforcing rib 25 in the interior of the hollow body and hence in the hollow region 14 of the bar 8. It can be identified in the perspective sectional view of the bar 8 in FIG. 5 that a plurality of such reinforcing ribs 25 is formed at a distance and parallel to one another in this hollow region 14. The reinforcing ribs 25 also preferably have a wall thickness of less than 1.5 mm, in particular between 0.6 mm and 1 mm.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0085] 1 Household appliance

[0086] 2 Housing

[0087] 2a Inner container

[0088] 3 Receiving space

[0089] 4 Door

[0090] 5 Outer door

[0091] 6 Inner lining

[0092] 7 Trough base

[0093] 8 Bar

[0094] 9 Bar

[0095] 10 Side wall

[0096] 11 Holding lug

[0097] 12 Holding lug

[0098] 13 Side wall

[0099] 14 Hollow region

[0100] 15 Free end

[0101] 16 Free end

[0102] 17 Side flange

[0103] 18 Base wall

[0104] 19 Transition

[0105] 20 Transition

[0106] 21 First end

[0107] 22 Second end

[0108] 23 Front wall

[0109] 25 Reinforcing rib

[0110] A Longitudinal axis

[0111] a1,a2,a3 Distance

[0112] d Wall thickness

[0113] r1,r2,r3 Radius