Household appliances

Abstract

A household appliance includes a housing and a door, the housing defining at least one chamber, the door being movably connected to the front of the housing to open or close at least a portion of the chamber, the door including a front panel defining a front boundary of the door, the front panel being made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and the front surface of the front panel being covered with a magnetic layer. This disclosure enables magnetic attraction on a non-magnetic door surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more specifically to a household appliance. Background Technology

[0002] With the booming tourism industry, creative refrigerator magnets have become a popular tourist attraction, and collecting them to decorate refrigerator doors has gradually become fashionable. Currently, glass-door refrigerators account for over 60% of household refrigerators. However, the glass doors used in existing refrigerators, whether ordinary glass panels or imitation ceramic, primarily focus on the variety of colors and appearance, serving mainly a decorative function and failing to attract refrigerator magnets. This prevents users with glass-door refrigerators from decorating their doors with magnets, impacting the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0003] One object of the present disclosure is to provide an improved household appliance.

[0004] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide a household appliance including a housing and a door, the housing defining at least one chamber, the door being movably connected to the front of the housing to open or close at least a portion of the chamber, the door including a front panel defining a front boundary of the door, the front panel being made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and the front surface of the front panel being covered with a magnetic layer.

[0005] This implementation scheme forms an additional magnetic layer on the front surface of a door that does not have magnetic attraction, thus giving the door magnetic attraction. Furthermore, the magnetic layer is located on the front surface of the front panel, maximizing magnetic performance and ensuring that magnets such as refrigerator magnets can reliably adhere to the door.

[0006] The door provided in this embodiment offers strong magnetic attraction, allowing it to hold refrigerator magnets, magnetic clasps, magnetic souvenirs, and other accessories directly on its surface without requiring a strong magnet as a medium. Furthermore, the door of this embodiment is lightweight and thin. The door of this embodiment is preferably suitable for household appliances such as ultra-thin refrigerators, where door thickness is a critical requirement.

[0007] Optionally, the magnetic layer is prepared by printing magnetic ink on the front surface of the front panel. Traditional magnetic glass often incorporates magnetic materials into the glass matrix using a melting method, which suffers from complex processes, high costs, and uneven magnetic distribution. In contrast, this embodiment forms the magnetic layer based on a printing process combined with magnetic ink. This leverages the high-precision pattern printing capabilities of printing technology and achieves magnetic functionality by changing the printing materials. Furthermore, since the magnetic layer is printed on the front surface of the front panel, the bond between the magnetic layer and the front panel is stronger and more reliable, reducing the likelihood of localized warping or detachment of the magnetic layer during household appliance use.

[0008] Optionally, the magnetic layer is formed by printing magnetic ink multiple times. A thicker ink coating is beneficial for obtaining a stronger magnetic attraction effect.

[0009] Optionally, the thickness of the magnetic layer is taken from [100, 300] micrometers.

[0010] Optionally, the magnetic layer is prepared using a screen printing process.

[0011] Optionally, the household appliance further includes a first coloring printing layer located in front of the magnetic layer. The main color is printed on the magnetic layer to achieve a decorative function. The color of the first coloring printing layer can be consistent with the exterior color of the household appliance's casing, thus improving the overall visual harmony and aesthetics of the appliance.

[0012] Optionally, the household appliance further includes a decorative layer disposed on the front surface of the front panel, the decorative layer including the magnetic layer. The decorative layer can serve both a decorative function and a magnetic attraction function. The decorative function may be, for example, to highlight the main color of the door, or to present a specific design.

[0013] Optionally, the household appliance also includes a second colored printing layer disposed on the rear surface of the front panel. Thus, the decorative layer serves to present a satisfactory design and provide magnetic attraction, while the second colored printing layer ensures that the door's exterior color matches expectations.

[0014] Optionally, the door also includes a rear wall facing the enclosure when the door is closed, with a thermal insulation layer between the front panel and the rear wall. A protective layer is covered on the surface of the front panel facing the thermal insulation layer, and this protective layer is in contact with the thermal insulation layer. The protective layer protects the back coating of the door from scratches and prevents the intrusion of moisture from the environment. The protective layer also allows for the adhesion of tape and the holding of thermal insulation material used to form the thermal insulation layer.

[0015] Optionally, the protective layer is formed before the magnetic layer. If the front surface of the door is treated first, the magnetic layer and other coatings already formed on the front surface may be damaged during the process of inverting the door to form the protective layer on the rear surface, affecting the appearance of the door. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rear surface of the door is treated first, and then the front surface is treated. After the required coating is formed on the front surface of the door, the door can proceed to the next process, reducing the chance of damage to the coating on the front surface of the door.

[0016] Optionally, the front panel is a glass or ceramic plate. Using this embodiment, by printing ink with magnetic material onto the glass or ceramic surface, not only can diverse appearances be achieved for decorative purposes, but it can also realize the function of attracting magnets, which is only possible with metal panels.

[0017] Optionally, the household appliance is a refrigerator. Using this embodiment, refrigerators with glass doors or ceramic doors can also accept refrigerator magnets, optimizing the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a household appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a door along the AA direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of another door along the AA direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of another door along the AA direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0022] In the attached image:

[0023] 1-Household appliance; 2-Box body; 3-Door; 31-Front panel; 311-Magnetic layer; 312-First color printing layer; 313-Decorative layer; 314-Second color printing layer; 315-Protective layer; 32-Back wall; 33-Frame; 34-Insulation layer; x-Width direction of the household appliance; y-Depth direction of the household appliance; z-Height direction of the household appliance. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a household appliance 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a door 3 along the AA direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure. To more clearly illustrate the specific structure of this embodiment, Figure 2 The example shown is a cross-section of the upper part of door 3.

[0026] Household appliances 1 can be, for example, refrigerators, freezers, cabinets, etc. Figure 1 Taking a French door refrigerator as an example, this implementation plan’s design regarding door 3 can also be applied to various types of refrigerators, such as French door refrigerators, side-by-side refrigerators, multi-door refrigerators, and single-door refrigerators.

[0027] For ease of description, in this embodiment, the width direction of the household appliance 1 is denoted as the x-direction, the depth direction as the y-direction, and the height direction as the z-direction. In this embodiment, the front and back directions refer to the opposite direction of the y-direction and the y-direction itself. "Front" or "front side" refers to the direction in which the household appliance 1 faces the user when in use, while "rear" or "rear side" refers to the direction in which the household appliance 1 is away from the user when in use.

[0028] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 The household appliance 1 includes a housing 2 and a door 3. The housing 2 defines at least one compartment. In the example where the household appliance 1 is a refrigerator, the compartment may specifically be a storage compartment, which may include a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a variable temperature compartment, or a zero-degree compartment, etc. The door 3 is movably connected to the front of the housing 2 to open or close at least a portion of the compartment.

[0029] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the example where door 3 is a refrigerator door, door 3 may include an insulated space filled with insulating material. When door 3 is closed, the insulating layer 34 formed by the insulating space effectively insulates against heat, ensuring optimal refrigeration / freezing performance of the storage compartment. Door 3 may include a front panel 31 defining the front boundary of door 3, a rear wall 32 facing the cabinet 2 when door 3 is closed, and a frame 33 arranged around the perimeter of door 3. The insulating layer 34 is located between the front panel 31 and the rear wall 32. In some embodiments, the front panel 31 forms at least a portion of the front boundary of the insulating space such that the insulating material contacts the rear side of the front panel 31.

[0030] The front panel 31 is made of a non-ferromagnetic material. For example, the front panel can be a glass panel or a ceramic panel.

[0031] Furthermore, the front surface (or front side) of the front panel 31 is covered with a magnetic layer 311, such as Figure 2 As shown. That is to say, gate 3 is as follows. Figure 1 When the cavity is closed, the magnetic layer 311 is located on the front side of the household appliance 1 and faces the user. The magnetic layer 311 has a magnetic adsorption function and can be used to attract magnets. Thus, an additional magnetic layer 311 is formed on the front surface of the door 3, which does not have magnetic adsorption capabilities, giving the door 3 magnetic adsorption capabilities. Furthermore, the magnetic layer 311 is located on the front surface of the front panel 31 to maximize the magnetic adsorption performance and ensure that magnets such as refrigerator magnets can be reliably adsorbed on the door 3.

[0032] The magnetic layer 311 can be a coating with magnetic adsorption capabilities formed on the front surface of the front panel 31. The magnetic layer 311, in the form of a coating, can be bonded to the front panel 31 in a more reliable and lightweight manner. The door 3 provided in this embodiment can provide strong magnetic attraction, and can directly hold accessories such as refrigerator magnets, magnetic clasps, and magnetic souvenirs on its surface without the need for a strong magnet as a medium. Moreover, the door 3 of this embodiment has advantages such as light weight and thinness. The door 3 of this embodiment is preferably suitable for household appliances 1 where door thickness requirements are high, such as ultra-thin refrigerators.

[0033] In the scenario where household appliance 1 is a refrigerator, this implementation plan enables refrigerators with glass doors or ceramic doors to also attach refrigerator magnets, thus optimizing the user experience.

[0034] In one specific embodiment, the magnetic layer 311 can be prepared by printing magnetic ink on the front surface of the front panel 31. Specifically, the magnetic ink can be an ink doped with magnetic particles. The magnetic particles can be ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic particles. For example, micron- or nano-sized magnetic materials can be incorporated into the ink to obtain magnetic ink. Nano-sized magnetic materials can refer to magnetic powder particles with a particle size controlled between 5 and 100 nanometers (nm). Magnetic materials can be, for example, iron oxide (Fe3O4), ferrite, nickel, cobalt, or alloys thereof.

[0035] During the printing process, by applying an external magnetic field or utilizing the printing technology, magnetic particles align along the direction of the magnetic field, forming a microscopic magnetic domain structure. After the ink is cured by drying (e.g., thermal curing) or by ultraviolet irradiation, the arrangement of the magnetic particles is fixed, forming a stable magnetic coating (i.e., magnetic layer 311).

[0036] In some embodiments, a magnetic layer 311 can be prepared on the front side of the front panel 31 using a screen printing process. For example, during the printing process, the pressure of the squeegee in screen printing causes the magnetic particles in the magnetic ink to align along the magnetic field direction, thereby forming the magnetic layer 311. Furthermore, using a screen printing process, ink containing magnetic material is printed on the front side of the front panel 31 made of a non-magnetic material. After high-temperature curing, the surface of the magnetic layer 311 has a certain degree of roughness. Therefore, the magnetic layer 311 attracts magnets through magnetic force and friction, resulting in superior magnet gripping ability and anti-drop capability.

[0037] Thus, by combining magnetic functionality with the printing process, controllable magnetic properties are imparted to the surface of non-magnetic substrates (such as glass). A magnetic layer 311 is formed by combining magnetic ink with the printing process, utilizing the advantages of high-precision pattern printing and achieving magnetic functionality by changing the printing materials.

[0038] Furthermore, since the magnetic layer 311 is printed on the front surface of the front panel 31, the magnetic layer 311 is more firmly and reliably bonded to the front panel 31, and the possibility of the magnetic layer 311 warping or falling off during the use of the household appliance 1 is lower.

[0039] Furthermore, by adopting this implementation scheme, magnetic ink can be printed on glass or ceramic plates, achieving not only a decorative purpose but also enabling the door 3 made of glass or ceramic plates to attract magnets.

[0040] In some embodiments, the magnetic layer 311 can be formed by multiple passes of magnetic ink printing. Multiple passes of printing can increase the thickness of the formed magnetic layer 311. Thickness refers to the dimension along the y-direction. A thicker ink coating is beneficial for obtaining a stronger magnetic attraction effect. For example, after the current layer is screen-printed and dried, another layer of magnetic ink is screen-printed on the front side of the current layer and dried, and so on until a magnetic layer 311 of the desired thickness is formed.

[0041] In some embodiments, the thickness of the magnetic layer 311 can be taken from [100, 300] micrometers. The magnetic layer 311 should not be too thin to avoid affecting the magnetic attraction effect. An excessively thin magnetic layer 311 is also prone to being exposed on the underlying front panel 31 when scratched, affecting the aesthetics. The magnetic layer 311 should not be too thick to avoid excessively increasing the overall thickness of the door 3, which does not conform to the current design trend of thin and light doors.

[0042] In a specific implementation, continue to refer to Figure 2 The household appliance 1 may also include a first coloring printing layer 312, which is located on the front side of the magnetic layer 311. The first coloring printing layer 312 serves a coloring function, for example, enabling the originally transparent or translucent front panel 31 to display a desired color such as white or silver. The first coloring printing layer 312 can be formed on the front side of the magnetic layer 311 using a screen printing process, with the inks used for printing pre-mixed to a satisfactory color. By printing the main color on the magnetic layer 311, a decorative function is achieved. The color of the first coloring printing layer 312 can be consistent with the appearance color of the cabinet 2 of the household appliance 1, thereby improving the overall visual harmony and aesthetics of the household appliance 1. Furthermore, transfer printing patterns can be added to the front surface of the first coloring printing layer 312 to create a design.

[0043] In a specific implementation Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of another door 3 along the AA direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure, see reference. Figure 3 The household appliance 1 may include a decorative layer 313, which is disposed on the front surface of the front panel 31. (As described above...) Figure 2The difference in door 3 shown is that, in this embodiment, the decorative layer 313 includes a magnetic layer 311. Specifically, the decorative layer 313 may contain a satisfactory coloring substance and magnetic ink. In other words, Figure 3 The decorative layer 313 in the middle is equivalent to Figure 2 The magnetic layer 311 and the first colored printing layer 312 are included. Compared to Figure 2 Two different functional coatings are formed sequentially on the front surface of the front panel 31. In this embodiment, a single coating is formed on the front surface of the front panel 31, which can present a specific color and also has magnetic attraction function. For example, the coating can be formed by printing ink that incorporates both coloring substances and magnetic ink. In this embodiment, on the one hand, the manufacturing process is simplified and the manufacturing efficiency is improved, and on the other hand, it is beneficial to reduce the thickness of the door body.

[0044] Furthermore, the decorative layer 313 can be additionally shaped using transfer printing patterns, thus enabling it to serve both a decorative and magnetic function. The decorative function can be, for example, to present the main color of the door 3. It can also be used to present specific shapes or patterns, such as marble textures.

[0045] In a specific implementation Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of another door 3 along the AA direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure, see reference. Figure 4 The household appliance 1 also includes a second colored printing layer 314 disposed on the rear surface of the front panel 31. Specifically, a decorative layer 313 is formed on the front side of the front panel 31, and a second colored printing layer 314 is formed on the rear side of the front panel 31. Figure 3 The difference in door 3 shown is that, in this embodiment, the decorative layer 313 includes a magnetic layer 311, but the decorative layer 313 may contain a coloring agent. The main color of door 3 is presented through a second coloring printing layer 314 printed on the back side of the front panel 31. In this embodiment, the decorative layer 313 may not cover the entire front panel 31 or may be a transparent or semi-transparent coating to ensure that the color of the second coloring printing layer 314 can pass through the front panel 31 and the decorative layer 313 without being affected and is visible to the outside.

[0046] For example, the decorative layer 313 can cover the front surface of the front panel 31 in the form of a striped pattern or a grid pattern. If the spacing between the stripes and the size of the grid are small enough, the magnetic attraction effect of the magnetic layer 311 will not be affected even if the decorative layer 313 does not completely cover the front panel 31.

[0047] Furthermore, the decorative layer 313 can be shaped by transferring a pattern to present a beautiful texture on the front surface of the door 3, thereby enhancing its aesthetic appeal.

[0048] Thus, the decorative layer 313 is used to present a satisfactory shape and provide magnetic attraction, and the second color printing layer 314 ensures that the color of the door 3 presented to the outside meets expectations.

[0049] In a specific implementation, refer to Figures 2 to 4 The surface of the front panel 31 facing the insulation layer 34 can be covered with a protective layer 315, which is in contact with the insulation layer 34. The rear side of the front panel 31 needs to be in contact with materials such as insulation material, and its surface dynamometer value must be 36 or higher. Therefore, a protective coating is applied to the rear side of the front panel 31 to isolate the front panel 31 from the insulation layer 34. Figure 4 Taking door 3 as an example, a main color can be printed on the back of the front panel 31 as needed. After drying and curing to form a second colored printing layer 314, a protective back paint can be printed to form a protective layer 315. The protective layer 35 can protect the back coating of the front panel 31 from scratches and prevent the intrusion of moisture in the environment. The protective layer 35 can also adhere tape and hold the heat insulation material used to form the heat insulation layer 34.

[0050] In some embodiments, the protective layer 315 may be formed before the magnetic layer 311. If the front surface of the door 3 is processed first, the coating such as the magnetic layer 311 already formed on the front surface of the door 3 may be damaged during the process of inverting the door 3 to form the protective layer 315 on the rear surface, affecting the appearance of the door 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rear surface of the door 3 is processed first, and then the front surface of the door 3 is processed. After the required coating is formed on the front surface of the door 3, the door 3 can proceed to the next process, reducing the chance of damage to the coating on the front surface of the door 3.

[0051] Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure, even when only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. The examples of features provided in this disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not limiting, unless otherwise stated. In practice, one or more technical features of the dependent claims may be combined with technical features of the independent claims, and technical features from the respective independent claims may be combined in any suitable manner rather than solely by the specific combinations listed in the claims.

[0052] While the above disclosure is provided, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art may make various alterations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure; therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure shall be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A household appliance comprising a housing (2) and a door (3), the housing (2) defining at least one chamber, the door (3) being movably connected to the front of the housing (2) to open or close at least a portion of the chamber, the door (3) comprising a front panel (31) defining a front boundary of the door (3), characterized in that, The front panel (31) is made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and the front surface of the front panel (31) is covered with a magnetic layer (311).

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic layer (311) is prepared by printing magnetic ink on the front surface of the front panel (31).

3. The household appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that, The magnetic layer (311) is formed by printing magnetic ink multiple times; and / or The thickness of the magnetic layer (311) is taken from [100, 300] micrometers; and / or The magnetic layer (311) is prepared by screen printing.

4. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first color printing layer (312), which is located in front of the magnetic layer (311).

5. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a decorative layer (313) disposed on the front surface of the front panel (31), the decorative layer (313) including the magnetic layer (311).

6. The household appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a second colored printing layer (314) disposed on the rear surface of the front panel (31).

7. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The door (3) also includes a rear wall (32) facing the housing (2) when the door (3) is closed, and a heat insulation layer (34) is provided between the front panel (31) and the rear wall (32), and a protective layer (315) is covered on the surface of the front panel (31) facing the heat insulation layer (34), and the protective layer (315) is in contact with the heat insulation layer (34).

8. The household appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that, The protective layer (315) is formed before the magnetic layer (311).

9. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front panel (31) is a glass plate or a ceramic plate.

10. The household appliance according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The household appliance in question is a refrigerator.

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