Household appliance comprising hybrid rear support frame

Abstract

A household appliance (12) comprising a cabinet (14), a compressor plate (18) and a hybrid rear support frame (10); wherein the hybrid rear support frame (10) comprises a first portion (10a) and a second portion (10b), which are fixed to each other by at least one rivet (20), and wherein the first portion (10a) is larger in at least one spatial dimension than the second portion (10b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a household appliance including a hybrid rear support frame. Background Art

[0002] In traditional appliances, the sides are made of a single metal and are clinched or spot welded to the cabinet bottom. Traditional appliance assembly processes have multiple constraints and high scrap rates. Foam expansion issues are high on the outer surface of the sides. In addition, they require special processes such as spot welding or tox rivet processes to connect the metal rear support frame to the cabinet bottom.

[0003] U.S. patent application 20160305704 discloses a household refrigeration appliance with a specific mechanical chamber boundary wall: a household refrigeration appliance having a shell and a mechanical chamber, wherein an inner container is arranged in the shell, the inner container defines an interior for accommodating food, the mechanical chamber is separated from the interior and components of a refrigeration circuit of the household refrigeration appliance are arranged in the mechanical chamber, wherein the mechanical chamber has a boundary wall on which a cable conduit box is arranged for introducing at least one cable from the outside of the mechanical chamber into the mechanical chamber, the cable conduit box having a accommodating container and a cover for closing the accommodating container, the cover being integrally connected to the accommodating container. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a domestic appliance comprising a hybrid rear support frame having improved properties.

[0005] This object is achieved by a domestic appliance having the features according to claim 1 .

[0006] The present invention relates to a household appliance, comprising a hybrid rear support frame (RSF) in the household appliance. The household appliance further comprises a compressor plate and a cabinet.

[0007] The compressor plate may include metal or may be made of metal.The compressor plate may be formed as a substantially horizontally arranged plate-like element to which a component such as a compressor may be fixed.

[0008] The cabinet may comprise metal or may be made of metal. The cabinet comprises a top wall, two vertical side walls and a rear wall. The cabinet may be "U-shaped", which means that the two side walls and the top wall are integrally formed into an inverted "U" shape.

[0009] The household appliance may also comprise a surface condenser and, for example, a suction pipe located in the cabinet.

[0010] According to the present invention, the hybrid rear support frame comprises a first part and a second part fixed to each other by at least one rivet. In addition, the first part is more dense in size than the second part. This means that the first part is larger than the second part in at least one spatial dimension. For example, measured in the height direction and / or the width direction and / or the rear direction, the first part is larger than the second part. The height direction, the width direction and the rear direction are measured relative to the household appliance positioned in a usable manner and when the household appliance is observed from the front. In particular, the smallest cube containing the first part can be larger than the smallest cube containing the second part.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the first part comprises metal or is made of metal. In particular, the first part may comprise a metal sheet or may be made of a metal sheet. According to one embodiment, the second part comprises a plastic material or is made of a plastic material. In particular, the plastic material may be flame retardant. In particular, according to one embodiment, the plastic material comprises or consists of a material having classification V-0 or classification V-1 or classification V-2 according to DIN IEC 60695-11-10 or classification 5VB or classification 5VA according to DIN IEC 60695-11-20.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the first part comprises a reinforcement module and a main part, such as a metal part, wherein the reinforcement module and the main part are connected to each other. In particular, both the reinforcement module and the main part can be made of metal. The main part can be a metal sheet component and / or the reinforcement module can be a stamped and bent component. Therefore, the (average) wall thickness of the reinforcement module can be greater than the (average) wall thickness of the main part. According to one embodiment, the reinforcement module and the main part can be connected to each other in a non-releasable manner, that is, they cannot be disassembled without destruction. In particular, the reinforcement module and the main part can be connected using welding technology or riveting technology to form a subassembly of the hybrid rear support frame.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the first part is assembled to the bottom part of a cabinet, for example a U-shaped one. In particular, the hybrid rear support frame forms a side wall of the machine compartment. The household appliance may comprise two hybrid rear support frames, each hybrid rear support frame forming a side wall of the machine compartment on opposite sides.

[0014] Another feature of the present invention is that when the hybrid rear support frame is assembled to, for example, a U-shaped cabinet, the reinforcement module provides additional support for the hybrid rear support frame to keep it in a good position.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the compressor plate is connected to the reinforcement module. In particular, the compressor plate can be connected to the reinforcement module by screws. This increases the stability and dimensional accuracy of the household appliance. In particular, the reinforcement module can be located on a first side of the main part and the compressor plate can be located on an opposite second side of the main part. Thus, the main part can be sandwiched between the reinforcement module and the compressor plate. In particular, the compressor plate can therefore also be connected to the main part by screws, for example by the same screws as the compressor plate is connected to the reinforcement module.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the first part is connected to the cabinet, in particular using a threaded connection. In particular, the first part can be connected to a side wall (e.g., a vertical side wall) of the cabinet. The space between the first part and the side wall can be filled with insulating material or air. Additionally, the second part can be connected to the cabinet. In particular, the second part can be connected to the machine room top wall. For example, the first part and / or the second part can be connected to the cabinet using a form-fit connection or a screw connection or a rivet connection.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the first part and the second part of the hybrid rear support frame include at least one or more cutting sections or cavities corresponding to the shape and size of the components of the appliance. In particular, the second part may include one or more cable ducts. The cable duct allows the cables to enter the space of the cabinet filled with insulating material (e.g. foam) from the machine room. In particular, the second part may include an integrally attached and pivotable cover to close the cable passage section of the second part. The cavity can be formed as a closed recess, for example without a through hole, so as to receive cables or pipes, for example of a cooling circuit, in a space-saving manner.

[0018] By the above disclosed household appliance comprising a hybrid rear support frame (RSF), cost optimization is provided and also an improvement in the assembly process of the hybrid rear support frame in the appliance is provided. The disclosed hybrid rear support frame provides more stability to the components of the appliance as a portion of the support frame is made of metal. Since no additional components are required, the above hybrid rear support frame is an effective low-cost solution compared to conventional support frames (which are mainly made of completely plastic-like materials). The above design can be used as a retrofit solution as the proposed design does not interfere with the existing assembly process. By the above disclosed design of the hybrid rear support frame, the predective component scrap rate is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the following drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 shows a hybrid rear frame in a household appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0021] Figure 2 An exploded view of a hybrid rear frame in a domestic appliance according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figure 1 A hybrid rear frame in a household appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The household appliance 10 includes a U-shaped cabinet 14, a surface condenser 15 located in the cabinet 14, a suction pipe, and a compressor plate 18. The hybrid rear support frame 10 includes a first part 10a and a second part 10b fixed to each other by at least one rivet 20. The first part 10a is denser in size than the second part 10b. That is, the first part 10a is larger than the second part 10b in at least one spatial direction. In particular, the first part 10a is larger in the height direction and the depth direction. In this case as well, the volume of the first part is greater than the volume of the second part.

[0023] The construction of the hybrid rear support frame 10 is further described in detail. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first part 10a is made of metal and the second part 10b is made of plastic material. The first part 10a includes a reinforcement module 22 and a main part 24, which is also a metal component, so that the reinforcement module 22 and the main part 24 are combined using welding technology to form a subassembly of the hybrid rear support frame 10. The main part 24 of the first part 10a is connected to the reinforcement module 22 using any welding technology known in the prior art, and one such technology is spot welding technology. However, it should be noted that any other technology known to those skilled in the art can be used. By reducing the protrusion effect of the hybrid rear support frame, the main part 24 provides greater stability during the operating state of the device 10.

[0024] The first section 10a is assembled to the bottom section 26 of the U-shaped cabinet 14. The hybrid rear support frame 10 is connected to the compressor plate 18 using screws.

[0025] The second portion 10b of the hybrid rear support frame 10 includes a plurality of cutting sections 30 corresponding to the shape and size of the various components (eg, cables) of the implement 12 .

[0026] The first portion 10 a comprises a cavity 32 corresponding to the shape and size of the suction tube 16 of the device 10 .

[0027] When the hybrid rear support frame 10 is assembled to the U-shaped cabinet 14, the reinforcement module 22 provides additional support for the hybrid rear support frame 10 to be in the correct position. The reinforcement module 22 is made as an integral part of the first part (10a) by connecting the first part (10a) using, for example, a spot welding technique or a riveting technique. The reinforcement module 22 is connected to the compressor plate 18. The first part 10a and the second part 10b of the hybrid rear support frame 10 are fixed to the U-shaped cabinet 14 using a fitting technique, one such fitting technique is a threaded fitting technique or a form fitting technique. The hybrid rear support frame 10 and the U-shaped cabinet 14 are assembled together by using a plurality of screws 28 that fit together with the reinforcement module 22 of the hybrid rear support frame 10.

[0028] The following is a detailed description of a method for assembling the hybrid rear support frame 10. The rear support frame 10 serves as a support for the appliance 12 by holding the compressor plate 18 and being fixed to the side walls of the cabinet and the top wall of the machine room 40.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the appliance 12 is a refrigerator, wherein the type of the appliance is selected from the group consisting of a single-door refrigerator, a multi-door refrigerator.

[0030] In conventional appliances, the rear support frame 10 is made of polypropylene copolymer (PCP), which does not meet IEC requirements. To overcome this, the present invention provides a hybrid rear support frame 10 made of metal and plastic, such that the metal portion 24 of the first portion 10a is made of a flame retardant material. The hybrid rear support frame 10 is divided into two main parts, namely the first portion 10a and the second portion 10b, and includes four components (10a, 10b, 22, 20).

[0031] The reinforcement module 22 is joined to the main part 24 of the first part 10a using any of welding techniques (e.g. spot welding) or a riveting process. The two parts (22, 24) together form a subassembly of the hybrid rear support frame 10. The subassembly of the hybrid rear support frame 10 is then combined with the second part 10b, through which the suction pipe 16 passes, by means of a plurality of rivets 20, thereby forming the entire assembly of the rear support frame 10. Once the rear support frame 10 is ready, it is assembled with the U-shaped cabinet 14, the surface condenser 15, and the suction pipe 16. After assembling these components, the entire device is assembled as a preformed cabinet assembly at the back panel and the bottom part 26 of the cabinet 14. The preformed cabinet 14 will be foamed in a later stage of the assembly process.

[0032] By utilizing the hybrid rear support frame 10 disclosed above, cost optimization is provided and also improvement in the assembly process of the rear support frame 10 in the appliance 12 is provided. The disclosed hybrid rear support frame 10 provides more stability to the components of the appliance 12 because one portion 24 of the support frame is made of metal. Since no additional components are required, the above support frame 10 is an effective low-cost solution compared to traditional support frames (which are mainly made of completely plastic-like materials). The above design is used as a retrofit solution because the new design does not interfere with the existing assembly process. By the above disclosed design of the hybrid rear support frame 10, the predicted component scrap rate is reduced. The above disclosed design of the rear support frame 10 helps to reduce foam expansion problems.

[0033] The embodiments explained in the above description are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiments explained in the specification are contemplated. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the scope of the claims.

[0034] Reference numerals list

[0035] 10 Hybrid rear support frame

[0036] 12 utensils

[0037] 14 U-shaped cabinet

[0038] 15 Surface condenser

[0039] 16 Suction tube

[0040] 18 Compressor Plate

[0041] 20 Rivets

[0042] 22 Enhancement Module

[0043] 24 Main Parts

[0044] 26 Bottom part of the cabinet

[0045] 28 Screws

[0046] 30 Cutting sections

[0047] 32 chambers

[0048] 40 Machine Room

Claims

1. A household appliance (12), comprising a cabinet (14), a compressor plate (18) and a hybrid rear support frame (10); characterized in that: The hybrid rear support frame (10) comprises a first part (10a) and a second part (10b), wherein the first part (10a) and the second part (10b) are fixed to each other by at least one rivet (20), and wherein the first part (10a) is larger than the second part (10b) in at least one spatial dimension.

2. The household appliance (12) according to claim 1, wherein: The first portion (10a) comprises metal or is made of metal.

3. The household appliance (12) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein The second part (10b) comprises or is made of a plastic material.

4. The household appliance (12) according to claim 3, wherein: The plastic material is flame retardant.

5. The household appliance (12) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein The first part (10a) includes a reinforcement module (22) and a main part (24) connected to each other.

6. The household appliance (12) according to claim 5, wherein: The reinforcement module (22) and the main part (24) are both made of metal.

7. The household appliance (12) according to claim 6, wherein: The reinforcement module (22) and the main portion (24) are joined using welding techniques to form a subassembly of the hybrid rear support frame (10).

8. The household appliance (12) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein The first portion (10a) is assembled to a bottom portion (26) of the cabinet (14).

9. The household appliance (12) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein The hybrid rear support frame (10) forms a side wall of the machine room (40).

10. The household appliance (12) according to at least one of claims 5 to 9, wherein: The compressor plate (18) is connected to the reinforcement module (22).

11. The household appliance (12) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein The first part (10a) is connected to the cabinet (14), in particular using a threaded connection.

12. The household appliance (12) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein The first portion (10a) and the second portion (10b) of the hybrid rear support frame (10) include at least one or more cutting sections (30) or cavities (32) corresponding to the shape and size of components of the household appliance (12).

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