Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines

Description

1 / 14 “CONSTRUCTIVE ARRANGEMENT APPLIED TO A LIGHTING ASSEMBLY FOR REFRIGERATION MACHINES” Utility Model Field

[001] The present utility model belongs to the technical field of refrigeration machines, such as domestic refrigerators. Specifically, it refers to a constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines. Fundamentals of the Utility Model

[002] Domestic refrigeration machines, such as refrigerators and freezers, are household appliances widely known to the general public, having been used for decades in homes around the world. In short, refrigeration machines circulate refrigerant and change the refrigerant from a liquid to a gaseous state through an evaporation process to cool the air inside. During the evaporation process, heat is transferred to the refrigerant. After evaporation, a compressor increases the pressure and, in turn, the temperature of the refrigerant. The refrigerant gas is then condensed into a liquid and the excess heat is rejected to the surrounding environment. The process then repeats.

[003] Over time, various new designs for domestic refrigeration machines have been developed. For example, while refrigerators and freezers were initially separate machines, the industry soon developed the solution of combining them into a single machine, both in compact, single-door designs and in larger, two- and even three-door designs.

[004] Regardless of the design configuration used, domestic refrigeration machines generally include an inner lining that, on one side facing the interior of the refrigerator, forms the food storage compartment. The inner lining is shaped to be inserted and Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 15 / 40 2 / 14 coupled to an external compartment. Between one side of the inner lining facing the outside of the refrigerator and the external compartment, an insulating material is generally injected, which helps maintain the internal temperature.

[005] Notably, the food storage compartment is an enclosed internal space with little access to natural light, so that, during the constant development of domestic refrigeration machine designs, the need to illuminate its interior to facilitate the visualization of the food items stored therein was verified.

[006] Furthermore, throughout the development of technology, several improvements have been made, whether in the arrangement of lighting assemblies inside refrigeration machines, in the number of units, or in the types of lenses and / or lamps used. It is observed that, in the most modern lighting assembly designs, the use of LED lamps arranged in various positions inside the domestic refrigeration machine is common. The present utility model applies to this specific type of lighting assembly.

[007] However, although installing lighting sets in domestic refrigeration machines brings several advantages to the user, who is able to view the products inside the refrigeration machine more adequately, there are also important complications.

[008] For example, lighting assemblies are generally installed on the side, bottom and / or top walls of the internal linings of refrigeration machines. Therefore, it is necessary to drill holes and / or cutouts in the internal linings for the lighting assembly to be installed. Note that if this area is not properly sealed, fluids of any kind, such as water and cleaning materials, can leak into the components of the lighting assembly.

[009] In this respect, it is important to note that there is a natural variation of Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, p. 16 / 40 3 / 14 of the thickness of the internal coatings during their manufacture can create challenges for the watertight attachment of the lighting assembly to the internal coating. For example, LED lamps generally have a lens installed in a lens frame which, in turn, is attached to the internal coating. In this sense, the fastening mechanism between the lens frame and the internal coating needs to be able to adapt to the thickness variations resulting from the manufacturing process and, at the same time, prevent gaps from forming through which fluids can pass.

[010] Another complication encountered in the installation of lighting assemblies that use LED lamps in the internal lining is related to the fact that the lens frame used for mounting in the internal lining is usually exposed on the inside of the food storage compartment (i.e., to the user). Given that refrigeration machines are manufactured in multiple colors, to ensure a pleasing aesthetic appearance, it is necessary that the lighting assemblies be manufactured with lens frames of different colors, corresponding to the colors of the internal lining. This, naturally, complicates the manufacturing process, since it is necessary to manufacture different parts and, in addition, mount them on the correct machines.

[011] It is noted, therefore, that the installation of lighting assemblies in domestic refrigeration machines brings with it numerous complications. The industry, seeking to resolve such complications, has developed a series of solutions. For example, to solve the problem of sealing in lighting assemblies with LED lamps, it is common to apply a gasket to the lens frame to prevent fluid leakage from inside the food storage compartment to inside the lighting assembly or vice versa.

[012] It is possible to observe, however, that the solutions provided by the state of the art seek to solve the above problems by employing a quantity Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 17 / 40 4 / 14 excessive parts, which greatly complicates the manufacturing and installation process, and furthermore, such solutions are not able to adequately solve all problems at the same time. For example, the previously mentioned gasket is applied to the lens frame, solving the sealing difficulties, but maintaining the manufacturing difficulties related to the need to produce lens frames of different colors corresponding to the colors of the inner coating.

[013] In other words, a constructive arrangement for a lighting assembly that is easy to manufacture and robust to install has not yet been found that can adequately overcome all the adversities discussed above in a simple way. Utility Model Objectives

[014] Given the limitations and complexities of lighting assemblies found in the state of the art, it is an objective of the present utility model to provide a new constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines composed of few parts, easy to manufacture and robust to install, which adequately seals the mounting location of the lighting assembly against the passage of fluids of any nature, regardless of the variation in thickness of the internal lining.

[015] Furthermore, it is an objective of the present utility model to provide a new constructive arrangement applied to refrigeration machines that can be elegantly installed inside the refrigeration machines, in a frameless design, so as to ensure that there is no need to worry about color matching between the lighting assembly and the internal lining of the refrigeration machine. Utility Model Summary

[016] The aspects and advantages of the present utility model will be presented, in part, in the following description, or may be obvious from the Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 18 / 40 5 / 14 description, or can be learned through the practice of the utility model. The objectives summarized above are fully achieved by means of a constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines comprising an inner lining, wherein the inner lining comprises a rear face, a front face and a cutout; a rear housing comprising a rear face and a front face, wherein the front face is configured to be positioned and mounted in a removable manner on the rear face of the inner lining and comprises an inner wall and a plurality of fastening devices, and wherein the rear face comprises a first fluid path; a lens, comprising a rear face and a front face, wherein the front face is configured to conform to the cutout of the inner lining, and wherein the rear face comprises a projection and a plurality of fastening devices;wherein the plurality of lens fastening devices cooperate with the plurality of rear housing fastening devices to fit the rear face of the lens into the front face of the rear housing; and wherein the inner wall of the rear housing cooperates with the lens shoulder to form a second fluid path; and a printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board is removablely mounted on the rear face of the lens.

[017] The constructive arrangement of the present utility model may also include, without altering or modifying the conditions of use and operation of the object or the technical-functional and bodily unity of the object, the following complementary elements and / or variations in form and detail: - the cutout features any one of the following shapes: rectangular, square, oval, oblong, and round; - The lens is made of transparent or semi-transparent material; - the rear housing is mounted in a removable manner on the rear face of the inner lining by means of at least one fastening device; Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, p. 19 / 40 6 / 14 - the plurality of rear housing fastening devices comprises a plurality of fastening recesses and the plurality of lens fastening devices comprises a plurality of fastening fittings; - the plurality of rear housing fastening devices comprises a plurality of fastening fittings and the plurality of lens fastening devices comprises a plurality of fastening recesses; - The plurality of lens fastening devices cooperates with the plurality of rear housing fastening devices by means of a snap-fit; - The first fluid path comprises a fluid chamber around a perimeter of the rear face of the rear housing; - the second fluid path comprises a labyrinth; - The printed circuit board is removablely mounted onto the lens by means of a press-fit mechanism; and - The interior lining may include additional cutouts in one or more of the following: a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall of the interior lining. Description of the Figures

[018] A complete and feasible description of the present utility model, which includes the best embodiment thereof, directed to a person of ordinary skill in the art, is presented in the descriptive report, which refers to the attached figures, in which:

[019] Figure 1A illustrates an exploded view of an LED lamp used in a constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to the state of the art.

[020] Figure 1B illustrates an exploded view of a constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, including the LED lamp of Figure 1A, according to the state of the art. Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 20 / 40 7 / 14

[021] Figure 1C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the coupling between the lens and the inner lining of the constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines illustrated in Figure 1B, according to the state of the art.

[022] Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of a constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, including an LED lamp, according to the present utility model.

[023] Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the coupling between the lens and the rear housing of the constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines illustrated in Figure 2.

[024] Figure 4 illustrates a partial cutaway isometric view of the rear housing of the constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines according to the present utility model, showing in detail a first fluid path.

[025] Figure 5 illustrates the rear face of the lens and the front face of the rear housing according to the constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines according to the present utility model, showing in detail the features that cooperate to form a second fluid path.

[026] Figure 6 illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of the coupling between the lens and the rear housing, as illustrated in Figure 3, and of the second fluid path formed, as illustrated in Figure 5. Detailed Description of the Utility Model

[027] Figures 1A, 1B and 1C illustrate a constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines according to the state of the art.

[028] In particular, Figure 1A illustrates an exploded view of a lamp. Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 21 / 40 8 / 14 LED, comprising a lens 130, mounted removablely in a lens frame 131, a printed circuit board 140, mounted removablely in the lens 130, and a sealing gasket 132. The lens frame 131 has a front face and a rear face and further includes a plurality of fastening devices 131a arranged from its sides.

[029] As shown in Figure 1B, the LED lamp illustrated in Figure 1A is installed in a lighting assembly, which also includes an inner casing 110 and a rear housing 120.

[030] The inner lining 110 has a cutout 111, configured to receive the lens frame 131. The inner lining 110 also has a front face, facing a food storage compartment of the refrigeration machine, and a rear face, in which the rear housing 120 is mounted, where the rear face faces an external compartment of the refrigeration machine.

[031] In the space formed between the outer compartment and the inner lining 110, an insulating material, for example, foam, can be poured in to assist in the thermal insulation of the refrigeration machine. In this sense, the rear housing 120 is mounted on the rear face of the inner lining 110 in order to prevent the passage of insulating material into the food storage compartment or into the lighting assembly.

[032] In the constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines according to the state of the art, the lens frame 131 is mounted, by means of fastening devices 131a, on the inner lining 110, as illustrated in Figure 1C. Note that the inner lining 110 may present variations in thickness resulting from its manufacturing process. Due to the variations in thickness of the inner lining 110, the lens frame 131 includes Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 22 / 40 9 / 14 on its rear face the sealing gasket 132, intended to ensure tightness in the coupling between the lens frame 131 and the inner lining 110.

[033] Note that, because there is a lens mounting structure (lens frame 131) arranged on the front face of the inner lining 110, after mounting the lens frame 131 in the inner lining 110, the lens frame 131 is visible to the user from the food storage compartment. Therefore, it is necessary to manufacture a series of lens frames 131 with different colors that correspond to the possible colors of the inner lining 110 so that the aesthetics of the product are not compromised.

[034] Having described the state of the art above, the constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines according to the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the numerical symbols in Figures 2 to 6. It should be noted that the usual technical details for domestic refrigeration machines, widely known and understood by those skilled in the art, will be omitted from the description below, so that the text focuses exclusively on the functional improvement revealed.

[035] Figure 2 highlights the main components of the lighting assembly according to the present utility model, consisting of an inner casing 10, a rear housing 20, a lens 30 and a printed circuit board 40, mounted in a removable manner on the lens 30 and responsible for illuminating the LED of the lighting assembly. The printed circuit board 40 can be mounted on the lens 30 in any way known in the art, such as by means of a snap-fit.

[036] It is immediately apparent that the lighting assembly according to the present utility model has fewer parts compared to the prior art. According to the present utility model, the lens frame 131 and the gasket 132 are not required. This is because the lens 30 is mounted Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, p. 23 / 40 10 / 14 directly into the rear housing 20, which is used as a contact and sealing point between the components of the lighting assembly, as will be seen in more detail below.

[037] In particular, the inner lining 10 comprises a rear face, a front face and a cutout 11. The cutout may have any shape suitable for the installation of a lighting assembly, such as rectangular, square, oval, oblong and round, without prejudice to the technical-functional unity of the present utility model. It is further noted that the inner lining 10 may include one or more additional cutouts arranged in one or more of a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall and a bottom wall of the inner lining. Naturally, each additional cutout may receive a lighting assembly according to the present utility model, according to the lighting needs of the refrigeration machine.

[038] Returning to Figure 2, it can be observed that the rear housing 20 includes a rear face and a front face, the front face being configured to be positioned and mounted in a removable manner on the rear face of the inner lining 10. This prevents, as in the prior art, insulation material from leaking into the food storage compartment or into the lighting assembly during the manufacture of the refrigeration machine. The rear housing 20 can be mounted in a removable manner on the rear face of the inner lining 10 by means of any suitable fastening device. For example, the fastening device can be a screw, a nail, adhesives, etc.

[039] Still referring to Figure 2, it is noted that the lens 30 comprises a rear face and a front face, wherein the front face is configured to conform to the cutout 11 of the inner lining 10. It is observed that, since it does not have a lens frame, the lens 30 is shaped in the cutout 11 in such a way that there are no exposed frames on the front face of the inner lining 10, Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, p. 24 / 40 11 / 14 forming an elegant design, eliminating concerns about color matching between the lighting assembly and the inner lining 10 and facilitating the manufacture of the lighting assembly as a whole. Without prejudice to the technical-functional unity of the present utility model, it is noted that the lens can be manufactured in a transparent or semi-transparent (frosted) material.

[040] In order for lens 30 to be directly attached to rear housing 20, dispensing with the use of a lens frame and providing the advantages above, these components must have the necessary features to be robustly fixed and ensure the sealing of the lighting assembly so that fluids do not enter its interior.

[041] In this sense, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the rear housing 20 may include a plurality of fastening devices 22 on its front face and the lens 30 may include a plurality of fastening devices 32 on its rear face. The fastening devices 22 of the rear housing 20 and the fastening devices 32 of the lens 30 are configured to cooperate with each other so as to fit the rear face of the lens 30 onto the front face of the rear housing 20.

[042] Note that any suitable fastening configuration between these components may be employed, without prejudice to the technical-functional unity of the present utility model. For example, the fastening devices 22 of the rear housing 20 and the fastening devices 32 of the lens 30 may consist of one or more pairs of recesses and fittings, where the recesses may be located in the rear housing 20 and the fittings may be located in the lens or vice versa. In this way, in such a configuration, the fastening devices 22 of the rear housing 20 and the fastening devices 32 of the lens 30 may cooperate with each other by means of a pressure fitting.

[043] By directly attaching lens 30 to rear housing 20, the lighting assembly according to the present utility model not only presents a design Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, p. 25 / 40 12 / 14 more elegant, without exposed frames, and also eliminates the need to fix the lens to the inner casing 10, meaning that variations in thickness resulting from its manufacturing process do not hinder the correct and robust installation of the lighting assembly.

[044] However, it is also necessary to ensure the sealing of the lighting assembly. As previously stated and illustrated in Figures 1A-1C, the lighting assembly according to the state of the art requires the application of a sealing gasket 132 in the lens frame 130 to ensure the sealing of the assembly against variations in the thickness of the internal coating 110. Advantageously, such a sealing gasket is not necessary in the present utility model, as will be explained in detail below, reducing its manufacturing cost.

[045] The sealing of the lighting assembly according to the present utility model can be guaranteed by means of two features located both on the lens 30 and on the rear housing 20.

[046] First, as illustrated in Figure 4, it is observed that the rear housing 20 has, on its rear face, a first fluid path 23. The first fluid path 23 can be arranged, for example, around a perimeter of the rear face of the rear housing 20, forming a fluid chamber. It is noted, therefore, that the first fluid path 23 provides a diversion for any type of fluid that passes through gaps between the inner lining 10 and the lighting assembly, improving the sealing of the assembly as a whole.

[047] In addition to the first fluid path 23, it is noted, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, that the rear housing 20 includes, on its front face, an inner wall 21, and the lens 30 includes, on its rear face, a projection 31. The inner wall 21 and the projection 31 can be arranged, for example, around a perimeter of the rear housing 20 and the lens 30, respectively. In this way, the inner wall 21 and the projection 31 cooperate with each other to form a second fluid path. Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 26 / 40 13 / 14 which could be, for example, a labyrinth. Thus, the second fluid path replaces the function of the gasket of the state-of-the-art lighting component, that is, it seals the interior of the lens against the component in which it is installed, in this case, the rear housing 20, improving the sealing of the lighting assembly as a whole.

[048] In view of the foregoing, in summary, it is noted that the present utility model provides a lighting assembly composed of few parts, since it dispenses with the use of a sealing gasket and a lens frame, reducing its overall manufacturing cost.

[049] Furthermore, the lighting assembly according to the present utility model is properly sealed at its mounting location against the passage of fluids of any kind, regardless of the variation in thickness of the inner lining.

[050] Finally, it is noted that the revealed lighting assembly can be elegantly installed inside refrigeration machines, in a frameless design, eliminating concerns about color matching between the lighting assembly and the internal lining of the refrigeration machine.

[051] It is observed that all these advantages are achieved simultaneously through a simple manufacturing set with fewer parts when compared to state-of-the-art lighting sets.

[052] This written description uses examples to describe the utility model, including the best mode, and also to enable anyone skilled in the art to practice the utility model, including producing and using any embodied devices. The patentable scope of the utility model is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be covered by the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include structural elements Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, p. 27 / 40 14 / 14 equivalents with non-substantial differences from the literal language of the claims. Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, page 28 / 40

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: an inner lining (10), wherein the inner lining (10) comprises a rear face, a front face and a cutout (11); a rear housing (20) comprising a rear face and a front face, wherein the front face is configured to be positioned and mounted in a removable manner on the rear face of the inner lining (10) and comprises an inner wall (21) and a plurality of fastening devices (22), and wherein the rear face comprises a first fluid path (23); a lens (30), comprising a rear face and a front face, wherein the front face is configured to conform to the cutout (11) of the inner lining (10), and wherein the rear face comprises a protrusion (31) and a plurality of fastening devices (32);wherein the plurality of lens (30) fastening devices (32) cooperate with the plurality of rear housing (20) fastening devices (22) to fit the rear face of the lens (30) into the front face of the rear housing (20); and wherein the inner wall (21) of the rear housing (20) cooperates with the lens (30) protrusion (31) to form a second fluid path; and a printed circuit board (40), in which the printed circuit board (40) is removablely mounted on the rear face of the lens (30).

2. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the cutout (11) has any one of a rectangular, square, oval, oblong and round shape.

3. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the lens is made of transparent or semi-transparent material.

4. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the rear housing (20) is mounted in a removable manner on the rear face of the inner lining (10) by means of at least one fastening device.

5. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the plurality of fastening devices (22) of the rear housing (20) comprises a plurality of fastening recesses and the plurality of fastening devices (32) of the lens (30) comprises a plurality of fastening fittings.

6. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the plurality of fastening devices (22) of the rear housing (20) comprises a plurality of fastening fittings and the plurality of fastening devices (32) of the lens (30) comprises a plurality of fastening recesses.

7. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the plurality of lens (30) fastening devices (32) cooperate with the plurality of rear housing (20) fastening devices (22) by means of a press fit.

8. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the first fluid path (23) comprises a fluid chamber around a perimeter of the rear face of the rear housing (20).

9. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by Petition 870250017004, dated 02 / 28 / 2025, page 30 / 40 3 / 3 fact that the second fluid path comprises a labyrinth.

10. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the printed circuit board (40) is mounted in a removable manner on the lens (30) by means of a press fit.

11. Constructive arrangement applied to a lighting assembly for refrigeration machines, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the inner lining (10) may include additional cutouts in one or more of a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall and a bottom wall of the inner lining (10). Petition 870250017004, dated 28 / 02 / 2025, pp. 31 / 40

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