DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE DEVICE

Abstract

A domestic refrigeration appliance device, in particular a domestic freezer appliance device, includes a frame unit provided for at least partially delimiting an access opening. The frame unit includes at least one frame sub-element having at least one groove running at least substantially parallel to a main direction of extension of the frame sub-element. In order to improve reliability, the frame sub-element has at least two cross-sectional shapes differing substantially from one another in a subregion relative to the main direction of extension. A domestic refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic freezer appliance, and a method for manufacturing a domestic refrigeration appliance device, in particular a domestic freezer appliance device, are also provided.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A domestic refrigeration or freezer appliance device, comprising: a frame unit at least partially delimiting an access opening, said frame unit including at least one frame sub-element; said at least one frame sub-element having a main direction of extension and a subregion; said at least one frame sub-element having at least one groove running at least substantially parallel to said main direction of extension; and said at least one frame sub-element having at least two cross-sectional shapes differing substantially from one another in said subregion relative to said main direction of extension.

15. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 14, wherein said at least one groove has at least two groove cross-sections disposed at least at two substantially different positions, and said at least two groove cross-sections are delimited by said cross-sectional shapes.

16. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 15, wherein said at least two groove cross-sections delimited by said cross-sectional shapes have a substantially identical shape.

17. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 14, which further comprises an at least substantially oblong heating element, disposed at said at least one groove for at least partially counteracting an icing of said frame unit.

18. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 14, which further comprises a fixing unit including said frame sub-element and at least one screen unit at least partially covering said at least one groove.

19. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 17, which further comprises: a fixing unit including said frame sub-element and at least one screen unit at least partially covering said at least one groove; and a projection of said heating element and said fixing unit on a plane at right angles to said main direction of extension, said projection having at least three fixing regions between said heating element and said fixing unit.

20. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 14, wherein said cross-sectional shapes are disposed alternately at least in sections relative to said main direction of extension.

21. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 14, wherein said cross-sectional shapes periodically oscillate at least in sections relative to said main direction of extension.

22. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 14, wherein said cross-sectional shapes continuously merge into one another at least in sections.

23. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 14, wherein said frame sub-element has at least one of an at least substantially curved or angular structure at least in sections, in said main direction of extension.

24. The domestic refrigeration appliance device according to claim 17, which further comprises at least one support element configured to rest against said heating element.

25. A domestic refrigeration or freezer appliance, comprising a domestic refrigeration or freezer appliance device according to claim 14.

26. A method for manufacturing a domestic refrigeration or freezer appliance device, the method comprising the following steps: providing a frame unit delimiting an access opening; providing the frame unit with at least one frame sub-element having a main direction of extension and a subregion; introducing at least one groove into the frame sub-element, the at least one groove running at least substantially parallel to the main direction of extension; and providing the frame sub-element with at least two cross-sectional shapes differing substantially from one another in the subregion relative to the main direction of extension.

Description

[0020] Further advantages become apparent from the following description of the drawings. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing. The drawing, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. The person skilled in the art will expediently also individually consider the features and combine them to form useful further combinations,

[0021] in which:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a domestic refrigeration appliance having a domestic refrigeration appliance device and a frame unit,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a frame sub-element of the frame unit,

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the frame sub-element in an enlarged view,

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a first cross-section of the frame sub-element having a fixing unit and a heating element in a schematic sectional view along line IV-IV in FIG. 2,

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a second cross-section of the frame sub-element with the fixing unit and the heating element in a schematic sectional view along line V-V in FIG. 2 and

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a frame sub-element of a frame unit of a further domestic refrigeration appliance device.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a domestic refrigeration appliance 44a according to a first exemplary embodiment. The domestic refrigeration appliance 44a is embodied as a domestic freezer appliance. In the present case the domestic refrigeration appliance 44a is embodied as an upright freezer. The domestic refrigeration appliance 44a has an internal temperature of up to −18° C.

[0029] Furthermore, the domestic refrigeration appliance 44a has a domestic refrigeration appliance device. The domestic refrigeration appliance device comprises an appliance closure element 52a. In the present case the appliance closure element 52a is embodied as an appliance door. The appliance closure element 52a has an appliance closure sealing element 54a. The appliance closure sealing element 54a is embodied as a door seal. The domestic refrigeration appliance device further comprises an appliance body 50a. The appliance body 50a comprises an inner container 60a. The inner container 60a consists of a thermoelastic plastic. The inner container 60a delimits a usable space 56a. In an assembled state the usable space 56a has an access opening 14a on a side facing the appliance sealing element 52a. The access opening 14a is provided to remove and/or introduce refrigerated goods out of and/or into the usable space 56a. An operating temperature of below 0° C. prevails within the usable space 56a. Furthermore, an operating temperature in the range of −20° C. to 0° C. can prevail within the usable space 56a. Alternatively, it would be conceivable for an appliance body to have two or more usable spaces. Similarly conceivable is an embodiment of the domestic refrigeration appliance device which comprises at least two appliance closure elements, wherein the appliance closure elements can be arranged in particular one above the other and/or adjacent to one another.

[0030] Furthermore, the domestic refrigeration appliance device has a frame unit 12a. The frame unit 12a delimits the access opening 14a. In the present case the frame unit 12a encompasses the access opening 14a completely. Alternatively, it is conceivable that a frame unit only partially encompasses an access opening. The frame unit 12a consists of a thermoelastic plastic. The frame unit 12a is embodied in one piece with the inner container 60a. In the present case the frame unit 12a and the inner container 60a consist of the same material. Alternatively, it is conceivable that a frame unit and an inner container consist of different materials. Furthermore, the frame unit 12a has at least one frame sub-element 16a. The frame sub-element 16a partially delimits the access opening 14a. The frame sub-element 16a is embodied in one piece with the inner container 60a. Alternatively, the domestic refrigeration appliance device can have a number of frame sub-elements. In particular, it is conceivable to form a frame sub-element from a material which differs at least partially from a material of a frame unit and/or an inner container.

[0031] FIGS. 2 and 3 show a cut-out of the domestic refrigeration appliance device with the frame sub-element 16a. The frame sub-element 16a has a main direction of extension 18a, which is arranged parallel to a main direction of extension of the appliance body 50a. The frame sub-element 16a further has a groove 20a running substantially parallel to the main direction of extension 18a (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0032] Furthermore, the domestic refrigeration appliance device has a heating element 36a (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5). The heating element 36a is embodied to be oblong. The heating element 36a is embodied to be curved. The heating element 36a extends in parallel to the main direction of extension 18a. The heating element 36a is arranged within the groove 20a (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5). In the present case the heating element 36a is embodied as a hot gas pipe 62a. A diameter of the heating element 36a lies in the region between 3 mm and 5 mm.

[0033] The frame sub-element 16a is composed of a number of frame sub-element sections 98a, 100a, 102a, 104a, 106a, 108a, 110a. In the present case the frame sub-element 16a has a number of frame sub-element sections 98a, 100a, 102a, 104a, 106a, 108a, 110a displaced in particular in parallel to the main direction of extension of the frame sub-element sections. A first group of frame subsections 100a, 104a, 108a is arranged outwardly displaced in relation to the usable space 56 compared with a second group of frame sub-sections 98a, 102a, 106a, 110a. The frame sub-element sections 98a, 100a, 102a, 104a, 106a, 108a, 110a are arranged alternately. The frame sub-element sections 98a, 100a, 102a, 104a, 106a, 108a, 110a are arranged periodically oscillating. Furthermore, the frame sub-element sections 98a, 100a, 102a, 104a, 106a, 108a, 110a merge constantly into one another. In the present case the frame sub-element 16a is configured to be wavy. Alternatively, frame subsections can be configured to be rectangular, triangular and/or sawtooth-shaped and/or merge into one another.

[0034] A central region 22a of the frame sub-element sections 98a, 100a, 102a, 104a, 106a, 108a, 110a forms a subregion 21a of the frame sub-element 16a. The subregion 21a corresponds to at least 50% of the frame sub-element 16a. The subregion 21a corresponds accordingly to a central region 22a of the frame sub-element 16a. Alternatively, a subregion can also comprise more or less than 50% of a frame sub-element. In the present case a geometric center point 68a of the subregion 21a is identical to a geometric center point 70a of the frame sub-element 16a. Moreover, the frame sub-element 16a has two cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a which differ substantially from one another in the subregion 21a in relation to the main direction of extension 18a. FIGS. 4 and 5 show cross-sections 64a, 66a of the frame sub-element 16a along lines IV-IV and V-V in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through a frame sub-element section 100a of the first group of frame subsections 100a, 104a, 108a, while FIG. 5 shows a sectional view through a frame sub-element section 102a of the second group of frame subsections 98a, 102a, 106a, 110a. The cross-sections 64a, 66a here show the different cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a. Here the cross-sections 64a, 66a have two different groove cross-sections 28a, 30a.

[0035] The cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a are embodied substantially differently from one another. The cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a are embodied such that the surfaces 72a, 74a of the cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a, projected onto a plane, which runs at right angles to the main direction of extension 18a, have a shared sectional surface of at most 75%. The cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a delimit the groove cross-sections 28a, 30a. The groove cross-sections 28a, 30a are embodied displaced at different positions 32a, 34a along the main direction of extension 18a. The groove cross-sections 28a, 30a have a distance which corresponds at most to 10% of the main extension of the frame sub-element 16a. The groove cross-sections 28a, 30a have substantially an identical shape. The groove cross-sections 28a, 30a delimit surfaces 80a, 82a of the same size. The groove cross-sections 28a, 30a also have a shared mirror plane 84a. The groove cross-sections 28a, 30a can be merged into one another with the aid of the mirror plane 84a. Alternatively it is conceivable that a distance of groove cross-sections corresponds at most to 1% and/or at most to 5% of a main extension of a frame sub-element.

[0036] The domestic refrigeration appliance device further comprises a fixing unit 38a. In the present case the frame sub-element 16a forms one part of the fixing unit 38a. Moreover, the fixing unit 38a comprises a screen unit 40a. The screen unit 40a is formed from sheet metal. The screen unit 40a has a sealing element contact surface 41a. The sealing element contact surface 41a serves as a contact surface for the appliance closure sealing element 54a. The sealing element contact surface 41a indirectly covers the groove 20a.

[0037] The fixing unit 38a moreover has a frame strap 86a. The frame strap 86a is embodied in one piece with the sealing element contact surface 41a. The frame strap 86a encompasses the frame sub-element 16a at least partially. The frame strap 86a is embodied at least substantially in a u-shape viewed in the cross-section. The frame strap 86a surrounds the groove 20a. Furthermore the frame strap 86a surrounds the groove 20a at least substantially in a foam-tight manner. The frame strap 86a directly covers the groove 20a.

[0038] A projection of the heating element 36a and the fixing unit 38a on a plane at right angles to the main direction of extension 18a displays three fixing regions 90a, 92a, 94a between the heating element 36a and the fixing unit 38a. The fixing unit 38a secures the heating element 36 with force and/or form-locking using the fixing regions 90a, 92a, 94a in particular by means of the geometrical embodiment and developing frictional forces.

[0039] The cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a and the groove cross-sections 28a, 30a are arranged alternately in relation to the main direction of extension 18a and in particular similarly to the frame sub-element sections 98a, 100a, 102a, 104a, 106a, 108a, 110a at least in sections. The frame sub-element 16a is thus composed of sections with different cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a. The groove 20a is composed of sections with different groove cross-sections 28a, 30a. The cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a and groove cross-sections 28a, 30a are also arranged periodically oscillating in relation to the main direction of extension 18a at least in sections. The cross-sectional shapes 24a, 26a and the groove cross-sections 28a, 30a merge constantly into one another. The groove 20a and its sections are configured in a wavy sinusoidal manner when viewed in the main direction of extension 18a. Alternatively, sections of cross-sectional shapes and/or groove cross-sections can be configured in an angular, rectangular, triangular and/or sawtooth manner and/or merge into one another.

[0040] In the present case the heating means 36a is operated using the waste heat from a compressor. The heating element 36a is provided to supply heat energy to the appliance body 50a, the frame unit 12a, the frame sub-element 16a, the fixing unit 38a, the screen unit 40a, the frame strap 86a, the sealing element contact surface 41a, the appliance closure element 52a and/or the appliance closure sealing element 54a. In this way the heating element 36 counteracts an icing, particularly due to condensing water, of the frame unit 12a and/or of the appliance closure element 52a and/or the sealing element contact surface 41a and/or of the appliance closure sealing element 54a, so that a simple and in particular non-destructive opening of the appliance closure element is ensured.

[0041] Alternatively a heating element can also be operated using warmer external air in relation to the air in an inner container. It is also conceivable that a heating element uses a refrigerant to transport and/or exchange heat energy.

[0042] A further exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 6. The descriptions below are restricted substantially to the differences between the exemplary embodiments. Reference can basically also be made to the drawings and/or the description of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 5, in respect of components labeled the same, in particular in respect of components with identical reference characters. To differentiate between exemplary embodiments the letter a is placed after the reference characters of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 5. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6, the letter a is replaced by the letter b. The further exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6 differs from the previous exemplary embodiment at least substantially by a frame sub-element 16b of a frame unit 12b.

[0043] FIG. 6 shows the frame sub-element 16b. The domestic refrigeration appliance device comprises at least one support element 96b. In the present case the domestic refrigeration appliance device comprises three support elements 96b. Alternatively, a domestic refrigeration appliance device can also have any number of other support elements, such as, for instance, at least two, at least three and/or at least four support elements. The support elements 96b consist of a thermoelastic plastic. The support elements 96b and the frame sub-element 16b are formed from the same material. In the present case the support elements 96b are connected in one piece with the frame sub-element 16b. The support elements 96b are arranged within the groove 20b. In an assembled state the heating element 36b rests against the support elements 96b. The support elements 96b form additional supporting surfaces for the heating element 36b.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0044] 12 Frame unit

[0045] 14 Access opening

[0046] 16 Frame sub-element

[0047] 18 Main direction of extension

[0048] 20 Groove

[0049] 21 Subregion

[0050] 22 Central region

[0051] 24 Cross-sectional shape

[0052] 26 Cross-sectional shape

[0053] 28 Groove cross-section

[0054] 30 Groove cross-section

[0055] 32 Position

[0056] 34 Position

[0057] 36 Heating element

[0058] 38 Fixing unit

[0059] 40 Screen unit

[0060] 41 Sealing element contact surface

[0061] 44 Domestic refrigeration appliance

[0062] 50 Appliance body

[0063] 52 Appliance closure element

[0064] 54 Appliance closure sealing element

[0065] 56 Usable space

[0066] 60 Inner container

[0067] 62 Hot gas pipe

[0068] 64 Cross-section

[0069] 66 Cross-section

[0070] 68 Geometric center point of the subregion

[0071] 70 Geometric center point of the frame sub-element

[0072] 72 Surface of the cross-sectional shape

[0073] 74 Surface of the cross-sectional shape

[0074] 80 Surface of the groove cross-section

[0075] 82 Surface of the groove cross-section

[0076] 84 Mirror plane

[0077] 86 Frame strap

[0078] 90 Fixing region

[0079] 92 Fixing region

[0080] 94 Fixing region

[0081] 96 Support element

[0082] 98 Frame sub-element section

[0083] 100 Frame sub-element section

[0084] 102 Frame sub-element section

[0085] 104 Frame sub-element section

[0086] 106 Frame sub-element section

[0087] 108 Frame sub-element section

[0088] 110 Frame sub-element section