Refrigerator with user interface located in the door

Abstract

A refrigerating appliance, in particular a household refrigerating appliance, comprising a body (1) and a door (2) which define a storage chamber, and a user interface module (22) housed in a lateral edge area of ​​the door, wherein the user interface module (22) is arranged in an edge-open cutout (29) of a front wall panel (15) of the door (2) and is concealed by a first handle strip (12), characterized in that a groove (9) is formed on a narrow side (10) of the door (2) at least at the height of the handle strip (12), which is dimensioned to accommodate the fingertips of a user.

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance such as a refrigerator, a freezer or a fridge-freezer combination, comprising a body and a door that define a storage chamber, and a user interface module mounted on the door, on which a user can adjust the operation of the refrigeration appliance and / or verify that the refrigeration appliance is functioning properly. From DE 20 2008 011 437 U1, a refrigeration appliance according to the preamble of claim 1 is known. This conventional refrigeration appliance is a refrigerator with a first and a second door, wherein the first door has, in an edge area farther from the hinge and facing the second door, on the one hand a user interface and, on the other hand, below the user interface, an elongated concavity through which a user can reach into lateral recesses of the first and second doors to open them. The doors of this conventional refrigerator are complex to manufacture. While the front of the first door is formed from a single piece of sheet metal in a conventional manner, numerous different operations are required to create the concavity and the lateral recess, as well as to cut the necessary openings for the user interface. The edges of these openings, in particular, must be manufactured with great care if they will be visible on the finished appliance; otherwise, additional cover pieces are needed to conceal them. The alternative method of manufacturing the door front by assembling various elements does not simplify the process. Further doors of refrigeration appliances are known from EP 2 184 571 A2, JP 2003 247 774 A, JP 2001 - 153 538 A, EP 2 405 216 A1, DE 37 08 722 A1 and JP 2004 - 44 980 A. The object of the present invention is to create a refrigeration appliance with a user interface module installed in the door, which can be implemented simply and inexpensively while having an attractive exterior. The problem is solved by concealing a cutout in a front panel of the door, in which the user interface module is arranged, by a first handle strip in a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with a body and a door that define a storage chamber and a user interface module located in a lateral edge area of ​​the door. To simplify the installation of the user interface module, the cutout in the front panel is open at the edge according to the invention. In particular, the open edge of the cutout can be concealed by the first handle strip, which also covers the user interface module. To avoid excessive mechanical weakening of the front panel due to the cutout, the front panel can be angled inwards along at least one edge of the cutout. A rib formed by this angle, flanking the recess, on the front panel and the user interface module can have cooperating locking means that contribute to both the stability of the front panel and the strength of the anchoring of the user interface module. The cutout can be positioned at a corner of the front panel, so that it is bounded on one side by the upper or lower trim strip of the door. The user interface module mounted in the cutout then conveniently engages with the trim strip on one side and with the front panel on the opposite side. If the user interface module includes a display element, such as a binary display element to indicate the proper functioning or non-functioning of the refrigeration unit, a temperature display, or the like, the first handle strip should be at least partially translucent to allow the display element to be read. Preferably, the indicator element is self-illuminating, such as an operating status indicator or an LED display. Such an indicator element should also be easily and reliably visible and readable even through a tinted handle strip. A second handle strip can be arranged on the door in a mirror image of the first to make opening the door easier in case of a change of direction. A groove must be formed on one narrow side of the door, at least at the height of the handle strip, which is dimensioned to accommodate the fingertips of a user and enable them to open the door. Preferably, the narrow side is formed by an inexpensive profile element, e.g., manufactured by roll forming, extrusion, or the like, so that the groove extends over the entire height of the door. The handle strip need not extend over the entire height of the door or the groove; it can be essentially limited to the cutout and, if necessary, a section of the narrow side at a height that is easily accessible for the user. For its fastening, the profile element preferably has a plug-in profile section such as a groove, which engages on part of its length with a complementary plug-in profile section of the front panel such as a spring and on another part of its length with a similarly complementary plug-in profile section of the user interface module. A leg of the handle strip that engages in the groove of the profile element can improve its anchoring to the door. Further features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. This description and the figures also reveal features of the exemplary embodiments that are not mentioned in the claims. Such features can also occur in combinations other than those specifically disclosed here. The fact that several such features are mentioned together in the same sentence or in another type of textual context does not therefore justify the conclusion that they can only occur in the specifically disclosed combination; instead, it should generally be assumed that individual features can be omitted or modified from several such features, provided that this does not call into question the functionality of the invention. Figures show:Fig. 1 a schematic perspective view of a two-door domestic refrigerator according to the present invention; Fig. 2 a schematic partial cross-section of a door of the refrigerator along plane II-II from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a section analogous to Fig. 2 along plane III-III from Fig. 1; Fig. 4 an enlarged detail from Fig. 3; Fig. 5 an expanded perspective partial view of components of the refrigerator door; Fig. 6 an expanded view of components of the refrigerator door according to a second embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 7 a view analogous to Fig. 5 according to a third embodiment. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a household refrigeration appliance according to the invention, here a combination unit, with a heat-insulating body 1 and two door leaves 2, 3, each closing a storage chamber, attached to the body 1. An articulated arm 7 is screwed to the top of the body 1 and carries a hinge pin (not visible in the figure) that engages in a hinge bushing of a finishing strip 4 forming an upper narrow side of the door leaf 2. A corresponding articulated arm 7 (not visible in the figure) also engages in a finishing strip at the lower edge of the door leaf 2; together, both define a pivot axis, labeled 8 in the figure, which extends adjacent to the right narrow side of the door leaf 2. On the left side of the body 1 and the upper end strip 4 of the door leaf 2, opposite the articulated arm 7 in a mirror image, are two screw bushings 6 and a hinge bushing 5, on which the articulated arm 7 can alternatively be mounted if the pivot axis is to be offset to the left edge of the door leaf 2. The lower door leaf 3 can be pivoted around the same pivot axis 8 as the door leaf 2. Mirror-image grooves 9 extend over the entire height of the left and right vertical narrow sides 10, 11 of the door leaves 2, 3. Two handle strips 12, approximately U- or J-shaped in cross-section, are shown spaced apart from the narrow sides 10 of the door leaves 2, 3 in Fig. 1. They are designed to be mounted on the door leaves 2, 3, with one leg of each handle strip 12 engaging in the groove 9 and a second leg extending onto a front face 13 of the door leaf 2 or 3, thereby covering a cutout 14 open towards the edge of the front face 13. The structure and attachment of the handle strips 12 becomes clearer with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, which each show horizontal sections through an edge area of ​​the door leaf 2 and the associated handle strip 12 in two different planes, labelled II-II and III-III respectively in Fig. 1. Figure 2 shows that the front face 13, a portion of the narrow side 10 extending between the groove 9 and the front face 13, and an edge strip 16 forming a front wall of the groove 9 are formed in one piece from a sheet metal blank 15. The remainder of the narrow side 10 is formed by an S- or Z-shaped extruded plastic profile 17. A section of the extruded profile 17 facing the front face 13 forms a groove 20 in which a folded-back portion of the edge strip 16 is received. An inner side of the door leaf 2 facing the bearing chamber is formed by a plastic blank 18, which may be deep-drawn in a known manner to form supports for door stays or the like. The narrow side 11, not shown in the figure, is a mirror image of the one shown.The sheet metal blank 15, the two extrusion profiles 17 of the narrow sides 10, 11, the plastic blank 18 and the end strips 4 define a cavity filled in the usual manner with closed-pore rigid foam 19. Fig. 3 shows a section analogous to Fig. 2 at the level of the cutout 14. The cutout 14 is provided only on one of the two narrow sides of the door leaf 2; a section along the same plane III-III through the opposite narrow side 11 would be a mirror image of Fig. 2. The portion of the sheet metal blank 15 extending between the groove 9 and the front face 13, and the edge strip 16, are interrupted at the level of the cutout 14. Instead, the sheet metal blank 15 terminates a few centimeters from the narrow side 11 with an edge web 21 angled into the door leaf 2. A gap between the edge rib 21 and the extrusion profile 17 is filled by a user interface module 22, which can be composed of an adapter part, e.g., injection-molded from plastic, and an electronic assembly. The adapter part has a substantially flat, cuboid, vertically elongated base body 23, designed to accommodate the electronic assembly (not shown in Fig. 3). A spring 24 projects obliquely from the rear of this base body into the interior of the door 2 to engage in the groove 20 of the extrusion profile 17 in place of the edge strip 16, which is missing at the level of the cutout 14. A hook-shaped section 25, formed on one narrow side of the base body 23, together with the narrow side of the base body 23, defines a groove that encompasses the free edge of the edge rib 21.The orientation of the spring 24 and the hook-shaped section 25 are chosen such that, when the rigid foam 19 expands during the manufacture of the door leaf 2, the extrusion profile 17 is pressed laterally outwards and against the spring 24, and the adapter part is secured against the laterally outwards force transmitted to it by the action of the hook-shaped section 25 on the edge web 21. To ensure that the pressure of the rigid foam 19 acting from the inside against the front side 13 does not detach the edge rib 21 from the user interface module 22 during curing, a snap connection can be provided between the two, as shown, for example, in Fig. 4; here, the edge rib 21 is provided with openings 26, and elastic tongues 27 are formed on the narrow side of the base body 23, which can be deflected when the edge rib 21 is inserted into the groove limited by the hook 25, and which, when the edge rib 21 has reached a stop point at the bottom of the groove, snap into the openings 26 and thus permanently fix the adapter part to the sheet metal blank 15. The narrow side carrying the tongues 27 is simultaneously the side wall of a cavity 28 of the adapter, into which the electronic assembly designated here by 29 can be inserted in a form-fitting manner. Fig. 5 shows the adapter part as well as a portion each of the sheet metal blank 15 and the lower edge trim 4 of the door leaf 2 in a split perspective view. The upper and lower end faces 30, 31 of the base body 23 each have a flat projection 32, which in the case of the upper end face 30 is designed to engage positively in a gap 33 between the front face 13 and the edge section 16 of the sheet metal blank 15. The edge trim 4 has recesses on its inner side facing away from the viewer, which are shaped to correspond to the projection 32 of the end face 31 and to an angled lower edge 34 of the sheet metal blank 15, respectively, in order to receive and secure them. The door leaf 2 can be assembled by first inserting the projection 32 of the end face 30 obliquely from below into the recess 33, as shown in Fig. 5, and then pivoting the user interface module 22 about an axis passing through this projection 32 to engage the edge web 21 with the hook-shaped section 25 and to engage the tongues 27 with the openings 26. In this configuration, the spring 24 of the adapter part is aligned with the edge section 16, and the extrusion profile 17 (not shown in the figure) can be attached. After attaching the inner door trim piece 18, the end caps 4 can be attached, and the resulting cavity can be filled with expanding foam. Referring again to Figs. 2 and 3, the handle strip 12 – preferably extruded from plastic like profile 17 – is dimensioned to completely cover the cutout 14 and conceal the user interface module 22 when installed. For this purpose, a leg 35 of the J-shaped handle strip 12, extending onto the front of the door leaf, is wider and higher than the cutout 14, and a leg 36, engaging in the groove 9, contacts the extruded profile 17 when installed. In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3, the plastic material of the handle strip 12 is homogeneously colored to such an intense degree that, apart from a window 37 with reduced wall thickness formed in the leg 35, it is practically opaque. In the area of ​​the window 37, the handle strip 12 is transparent in a narrow spectral range, so that an LED emitting in this spectral range and mounted on the electronic assembly 29 behind the window 37 is clearly visible through the window 37. The wall thickness of the window 37 can be so small that the window yields under pressure exerted on it by a user's finger, thus enabling the actuation of a mechanical switch of the electronic assembly 29 located behind the window 37. However, the use of proximity sensors as switches of the electronic assembly 29 is preferred; these sensors are capable of detecting the approach of a user's finger without physical contact and reacting accordingly. According to a further embodiment, the inherently transparent material of the handle strip 12 can be backed with a colored, at least partially translucent film through which the illumination of an LED mounted behind it in the electronic assembly 29 is visible, even if the LED is not visible behind the colored film when switched off. Such a film can also be provided with externally visible printed symbols that indicate to a user the installation location of switches in the underlying electronic assembly 29 and preferably also their function. Instead of a colored foil, a partially reflective metallization can also be provided on the handle strip 12, which gives it the appearance of a metal surface in places where it is not backlit by an LED or another light source of the electronic assembly 29, while at the same time allowing light from the electronic assembly 29 to escape and thus enabling the user to assess the operating status of the cooling device. Fig. 6 illustrates the various possibilities for visualizing the operating state of the refrigeration unit, using a split perspective view of an adapter part, an electronics assembly 29, and a handle strip 12 according to a further embodiment of the invention. The electronics assembly 29 and the cavity 28 accommodating it on the base body 23 of the adapter part are significantly smaller than the base body 23 itself; by adapting the shape of the adapter part to both the shape of the door leaf 2 and the shape of the electronics assembly 29, an electronics assembly 29 already used in another refrigeration model can be adapted for use in a refrigeration unit according to the invention with minimal modification. The electronic assembly 29 has various display and control elements on its exterior, such as a seven-segment LED display 38 for showing the current temperature in one of the storage compartments of the refrigeration unit or a setpoint temperature for the respective storage compartment. Since the handle strip 12 is sufficiently transparent to the light from the LED display 38, at least in the area of ​​the window 37, it can be easily read when switched on, while being practically invisible from the outside when switched off. Buttons 39 and 40, for example for incrementing or decrementing the target temperature of a storage compartment, have illuminated zones such as a frame 41 or a symbol 42, which are backlit by an LED in the same color as the seven-segment display 38 and are clearly visible on the outside of the handle 12 in this state. This allows the user to immediately see where to touch the handle 12 to activate the buttons 39 and 40 behind it. According to one variant, unlit buttons 43 can also be provided on the electronic assembly 29. In order for a user to be able to operate these buttons precisely, a marking 44 indicating the installation location of the buttons 43 must be present on the handle 12. While the electronic assembly 29 is simplified if its buttons are not backlit, the manufacturing of the handle 12 is complicated by the need to apply the markings 44, and care must be taken during the assembly of the handle 12 to ensure that the markings 44 are positioned exactly in front of the buttons 43. Referring again to Fig. 1, the handle strip 12 of the door leaf 3 differs from that of the door leaf 2 only in its length, but not in its light transmission properties. The fact that the leg 35 of the handle strip 12 on the door 3 does not cover any cutout is not visible from the outside. In addition to the two handle strips 12 shown in Fig. 1, and mirrored to these, two further handle strips can be arranged on the narrow sides 11. As long as the pivot axis 8 of the door leaves 2, 3 runs adjacent to the narrow side 11, these additional handle strips are non-functional; however, if the hinge arms 7 are moved to the opposite side of the body 1, these additional handle strips 12 facilitate the handling of the doors 2, 3. For design reasons, e.g., in the case of a tall, single-door refrigerator, it may be desirable for the handle 12 not to extend to the upper or lower edge of the door. Fig. 7 shows, in a view analogous to Fig. 5, a correspondingly shortened adapter part and the cutout in the sheet metal blank 15 that receives the adapter part. The edge rib 21 is omitted here to allow the projections 32 of the two end faces 30, 31 of the base body 23 of the adapter part to be inserted from inside the door, in the direction of an arrow 45, into the spaces 33 on both sides of the cutout 14.

Claims

A refrigerating appliance, in particular a household refrigerating appliance, comprising a body (1) and a door (2) which define a storage chamber, and a user interface module (22) housed in a lateral edge area of ​​the door, wherein the user interface module (22) is arranged in an edge-open cutout (29) of a front wall panel (15) of the door (2) and is concealed by a first handle strip (12), characterized in that a groove (9) is formed on a narrow side (10) of the door (2) at least at the height of the handle strip (12), which is dimensioned to accommodate the fingertips of a user. Refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the front wall plate (15) is angled into the interior of the door along at least one edge of the cutout (14). Refrigeration device according to claim 2, characterized in that a rim web (21) flanking the cutout (14) of the front wall plate (15) and the user interface module (22) have cooperating locking means (26, 27). Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutout (14) is limited on one side by an upper or lower end strip (4) of the door (2) and that the user interface module (22) engages in a form-fitting manner with the end strip (4) on one side and with the front wall plate (15) on the opposite side. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the user interface module (22) comprises a display element (38, 41, 42) and the first handle strip (12) is at least partially translucent. Refrigeration device according to claim 5, characterized in that the display element (38, 41, 42) is self-illuminating. Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second handle strip is arranged on the door (2) in a mirror image to the first (12). Refrigeration appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the narrow side (10) is formed by a profile element (17) and the groove (9) extends over the entire height of the door (2). Refrigeration device according to claim 8, characterized in that the profile element (17) has a plug-in profile section (20) which engages on part of its length with a complementary plug-in profile section (16) of the front wall plate (15) and on another part of its length with a complementary plug-in profile section (24) of the user interface module (22). Refrigeration device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a leg (36) of the handle strip (12) engages in the groove (9).

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