Refrigerating Device for a Recreational Vehicle

Abstract

The present invention is intended to provide a refrigerating device for a recreational vehicle, comprising a refrigerating chamber, which is defined by side walls, an upper wall and a lower wall and a front opening, the refrigerating device further comprising a door which is configured to allow sealing of the front opening and to allow accessing the refrigerating chamber via the front opening, an input panel comprising a display, an input knob and a processing unit. The display depicts a plurality of items which correspond to a plurality of executable input methods to be triggered by a user via actuation of the input knob.

Claims

1. A refrigerating device, comprising: a housing having an upper wall, a lower wall, a first sidewall, and a parallel second sidewall; a first chamber defined within said housing and a second chamber defined within said housing, said first chamber and said second chamber being separated and defining a space therebetween; a first door covering the first chamber and a second door covering the second chamber, wherein each of said first door and said second door may be pivotally opened to access said first chamber and said second chamber, respectively; an input panel extending horizontally in said space between said first door and said second door, said input panel having a display and an input knob thereon, wherein said display depicts a plurality of items which correspond to a plurality of executable input methods to be triggered by a user via rotation and pressing of the input knob.

2. The refrigerating device of claim 1, one of said first chamber or said second chamber comprising a refrigerator.

3. The refrigerating device of claim 2, the other of said first chamber or said second chamber comprising a freezer.

4. The refrigerating device of claim 1, wherein one of said first chamber or said second chamber comprises an oven.

5. The refrigerating device of claim 1, wherein the input panel further comprises a cover panel with a transparent section.

6. The refrigerating device of claim 5, wherein said display is aligned with said transparent section.

7. The refrigerating device of claim 1, wherein each item of the plurality of items depicted on the display corresponds to a specific executable input method selected from a list, including one of or a plurality of setting a refrigeration temperature, preparing crushed ice or ice cubes, setting a source of energy, defrosting the first chamber or the second chamber, setting an alarm, controlling ventilation of the first or the second chamber, setting light settings or adjusting audible volume.

8. A refrigerating device, comprising: a housing having an upper wall, a lower wall, a first sidewall, and a parallel second sidewall; a chamber defined within said housing; a door pivotally connected to said housing and covering an opening into said chamber; an input panel extending horizontally across said upper wall of the housing, above an upper edge of said door; said input panel having a display and an input knob thereon, wherein said display depicts a plurality of items which correspond to a plurality of executable input methods to be triggered by a user via rotation and pressing of the input knob.

9. The refrigerating device of claim 8, said chamber defining one of a refrigerator or a freezer.

10. The refrigerating device of claim 8, wherein each item of the plurality of items depicted on the display corresponds to a specific executable input method selected from a list, including one of or a plurality of setting a refrigeration temperature, preparing crushed ice or ice cubes, setting a source of energy, defrosting the chamber, setting an alarm, controlling ventilation of the chamber, setting light settings or adjusting audible volume.

11. The refrigerating device of claim 8, wherein the input panel further comprises a cover panel with a transparent section and is aligned with said display.

12. The refrigerating device of claim 11, further comprising the display being operably connected with the input knob such that triggering an input method is achieved by said rotation the input knob to select at least one of the depicted items corresponding to the input method and by said pressing the input knob to execute the desired input method corresponding to the selected depicted item.

13. The refrigerating device of claim 10, further comprising a second chamber, wherein said chamber define two of a refrigerator, a freezer, or an oven.

14. A refrigerating device, comprising: a housing having an upper wall, a lower wall, a first sidewall, and a parallel second sidewall; a first chamber defined within said housing and a second chamber disposed within said housing and separated from said first chamber; a first door pivotally connected to said housing to access said first chamber, and a second door pivotally connected to said housing to access said second chamber, said first door disposed above said second door; said first and second doors each having handles adjacent to edges of said doors and being symmetrically arranged to allow opening in both a right hand direction and a left hand direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the figures showing a preferable embodiment, wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1 is a prospective view of the refrigerating device according to a fist embodiment of the invention comprising a first refrigerating chamber and a second refrigerating chamber;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a prospective view of an isolated input panel according to the invention;

[0024] FIG. 3 is a front view of an isolated input panel according to the invention;

[0025] FIG. 4 is section of a refrigerating device according to a first embodiment of the invention in a front view showing the input panel;

[0026] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the input panel according to the invention;

[0027] FIG. 6 is a prospective sectional view of a refrigerating device according to a first embodiment of the invention; and

[0028] FIG. 7 is a front view showing several embodiments of a refrigerating device 1 for a recreational vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In this particular embodiment of FIG. 1 the refrigerating device 1 comprises a first refrigerating chamber 2, e.g. a freezing compartment, and a second refrigerating chamber 3, e.g. a cooling compartment. Accordingly, the first refrigerating chamber has a first door 4 and a second refrigerating chamber 3 has a second door 5. In between the first door 4 and the second door 5 on the front side of the refrigerating device 1 is provided an input panel 6 with an input knob 7 and a display 8. Each of the first door 4 and the second door 5 comprises a left handle 9 and a right handle 10 for individually and selectively opening the first door 4 and/ or the second door 5 to either the left or the right side. Thereby, the input panel 6 remains stationary attached to the refrigerating device 1. The input panel is further shaped such that it follows the encompassing surface of the refrigerating device without forming protrusions or recesses. The input panel 6 is further provided in a height that corresponds with the lower wall of the first refrigerating chamber 2 and the upper wall of the second refrigerating chamber 3 in order to make use of the dead space in between the first refrigerating chamber 2 and the second refrigerating chamber 3.

[0030] In FIG. 2, the input panel is shown in more detail. It is shown that the input knob has a circular shape and is provided on the right side next to a rectangular display 8 showing a plurality of items 11 which correspond to specific executable input methods and operating modes that may be selected by rotating the input knob 7 and which may be executed by pressing the input knob 7 when the desired item 11 is selected.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the isolated input panel 6 and FIG. 4 the input panel 6 as shown in FIG. 3 in combination with the refrigerating device 1. Here it is shown a plurality of items 11 consisting of symbols representing temperature, battery, power source, defrosting, volume control, ventilation and the like.

[0032] The individual components of the input panel 6 are further shown in FIG. 5. The input panel 6 mainly consists of an input panel core 12, housing the processing unit (not shown), and the display 8, the input knob 7, consisting of a circumferential plate 14 and a ring 15 as well as a cover panel 16. The ring 15 is placed in between the cover panel 16 and the circumferential plate 14. The input panel 6 further comprises a transparent section 17 which aligns with the display 8 that is provided in the input panel core 12 in position and dimension. Thus, the display 8 may conveniently be observed in a mounted condition of the input panel 6, whilst being protected through the cover panel 16.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a prospective sectional view of a refrigerating device 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. It can be seen that the input panel 6 is located adjacent to the first door 4 of the first refrigerating chamber 2 and the second door 5 of the second refrigerating chamber 3. Furthermore, each of the first door 4 of the first refrigerating chamber 2 and the second door 5 of the second refrigerating chamber 3 have vertical left and right handles 9, 10 to open the doors 4, 5 individually and selectively either to the right side or to the left side.

[0034] FIG. 7 depicts a variety of further embodiments of a refrigerating device 1 according to the invention. Accordingly, the refrigerating device 1 may either have only one refrigerating chamber, or a first refrigerating chamber 2 and a second refrigerating chamber 3. In either embodiment, the input panel 6 is fixedly provided on the front of the refrigerating device 1 above and/or below a door of the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerating device. The latter is specifically useful, since normally, this dead space would be covered by the doors or an additional blind. Here, the usually unused space is turned into a conveniently reachable space for housing the input panel 6.