Dishwasher with a control panel

Abstract

Dishwasher (1), in particular a household dishwasher, with a washing container (2) located in a body (5) of the dishwasher for cleaning dishes, glasses, cutlery or similar items to be cleaned, wherein the washing container (2) can be closed at its front (V) by a door (3) which is upright in a closed position and movable to open, and wherein the door (3) has a control panel (8) in its upper area in the closed position, which includes an opening (7) for manually opening and / or closing the door (3), characterized in that a separate decorative insert is arranged in the opening (7) as a visible handle recess (13) and is aligned with respect to the transverse direction (Q) on a panel base body (9) which is at least partially covered on the outside by means of a centering aid (23),wherein the handle shell (13) serves a purely decorative function without holding tasks and covers the rear and lower area (10; 11) as well as side areas (12) of the access opening (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a dishwasher, in particular a household dishwasher, with a washing container located in a body of the dishwasher for cleaning dishes, glasses, cutlery or similar items to be cleaned, wherein the washing container can be closed at its front by a door which is upright in a closed position and movable to open it, and wherein a control panel is assigned to the door in its upper area in the closed position, according to the preamble of claim 1 or claim 4.

[0002] It is known that dishwashers with a control panel at the top of the door, which can therefore be either freestanding or installed under a worktop (then referred to as semi-integrated appliances), are equipped with a recessed opening to allow the user to reach into this opening from below and operate the door. Often, a handle recess in the recess is aligned with a front panel of the control panel, for example, if this panel has folded edges around the recess, creating a stainless steel channel along which the handle recess can be aligned. However, if a design without folded edges in the handle area is desired, this centering option is no longer available.

[0003] Likewise, such a front panel, which does not have folded edges in the area of ​​the access opening or on transverse outer sides, cannot easily be brought into a centered position relative to a supporting base body.

[0004] German patent DE 20 2006 006 612 U1 discloses a multi-layered control panel comprising a rear layer consisting of a panel carrier and a front layer extending over the entire height of the panel carrier. The front layer can be connected to the panel carrier at its top and bottom edges. Therefore, there are two components extending over the full height of the control panel that must be joined together, and this connection automatically creates a centered joint. However, the centering aids visible at the top and bottom detract from the overall impression of quality. Furthermore, the front layer, as an attached front element, appears somewhat incongruous, and its lateral joints with the adjacent front surfaces of the control panel are always visible.The invention is based on the problem of enabling precise centering of a front panel and / or a handle shell, even with new and without laterally folded edge areas, and without an elaborate centering device.

[0005] The invention solves this problem by providing a dishwasher with the features of claim 1 and / or claim 4, which may also be implemented in combination with one another. Further advantages and features as well as embodiments of the invention are specified in claims 2 to 3 and 5 to 16, the features of which may each be implemented individually or in combination with one another.

[0006] In the embodiment according to claim 1, a separate decorative insert is arranged in the access opening as a visible handle recess and is aligned with a centering aid on a panel base body that is at least partially clad on the outside, thus enabling a wide variety of design possibilities for the decorative insert without requiring any interaction with a front panel for centering. Such a handle recess can instead be aligned solely on the supporting base body of the control panel, completely independent of any covers or flat cladding of this base body. The risk of damage to the handle recess by potential stainless steel cladding is also eliminated. The handle recess serves a purely decorative function without any holding requirements and covers the rear, lower, and side areas of the access opening.This means it is always visible when viewed from an oblique angle above, resulting in a visually enhanced impression of quality and allowing for a very high-quality design to be achieved with precise alignment.

[0007] If at least one protruding part is provided on the handle shell for alignment in the transverse direction, which engages in at least one complementary recess of the base body (or vice versa), the alignment is very easy to achieve and remains permanently in place, so that no deviations can occur even during the transport of such a dishwasher.

[0008] In particular, the recess is an excess of one to three tenths of a millimeter in the transverse direction relative to the protruding part, in order to ensure sufficient accuracy and avoid a visible gap, while also providing enough space during assembly to allow the parts to slide easily into one another.

[0009] If, in the embodiment according to claim 4, at least one large-area covering for the front of a aperture base body has a folded-over edge area which is aligned with respect to the transverse direction via a centering aid on the aperture base body, this alignment occurs completely independently of other parts of the aperture; no folding of raised edges of the covering at its lateral edge or at the cutout for a handle recess is required, but these edges can be sharp or chamfered, depending on the design requirements, exclusively two-dimensionally in the surface of the covering, which can result in a modern, sharp-edged look; a continuous stainless steel covering is then not required.

[0010] Advantageously, at least one front panel has a transverse central recess for an access opening with a handle recess, so that several parts can be connected together without needing to be aligned with each other.

[0011] A recess in a stainless steel cladding for a potential handle recess can thus be punched out or similarly shaped in a single process step and must not have an edge protruding from the plane of the cladding. A sharp-edged design is also possible, since a handle recess would not need to be aligned with the cladding.

[0012] The lower edge of the front panel is conveniently folded over, thus partially overlapping the base of the panel, which is visually unobtrusive and simplifies installation. If this edge has a recess into which a protruding centering pin of the base engages (or vice versa), very precise lateral alignment is possible. With the advantages already described above, the recess has an oversize of one to three tenths of a millimeter relative to the protruding centering pin in the lateral direction.

[0013] Provided that the folded edge protrudes one to four millimeters from the front of the panel to the rear, only a small amount of material is required, which nevertheless leaves enough room for the centering interaction with the base body.

[0014] If the access opening in its upper area has a rear gripping area accessible from below and shielded from the front for a user's fingers, a secure gripping mechanism is provided that allows ergonomic operation even when applying pulling force.

[0015] Simple assembly of the handle shell is achieved if it is held, at least partially, by a handle piece that is attached to the control panel as a separate unit. Such a separate handle piece facilitates demolding of injection-molded plastic parts.

[0016] In particular, the handle can be held on a base body of the control panel at its rear, which is facing away from the front facing the user, so that the uniform structure of the front of the control panel is not affected and, for example, a very uniform design is possible towards the front.

[0017] The handle itself is therefore not visible from the front. For quick and easy installation, it can be clipped onto the base of the control panel.

[0018] The handle itself – as well as the base of the control panel – can also be made of plastic for low weight and high stability.

[0019] Ideally, the handle comprises a shell that is essentially open at the bottom and at least partially forms the gripping area behind the handle.

[0020] The separate handle shell, when installed, can be gripped from behind by the lower edge of the handle assembly, thus being held and secured in its transverse orientation. Simply by attaching the handle assembly, the separate handle shell is automatically secured, making further steps to secure the handle shell unnecessary.

[0021] In particular, the handle is mounted by placing its underside at an angle against the rear of the aperture base and then pivoting it upwards, inevitably coming into contact with the front edge of the upper grip panel during this pivoting motion. The upper edge of the grip panel is then secured against both extension and lateral displacement from its position on the base, behind the overlapping lower edge of the handle.

[0022] Further advantages and features will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention shown in the drawing and described below.

[0023] The drawing shows: Fig. 1 A schematic representation of a dishwasher in perspective view from a slightly oblique front view with the door partially open, Fig. 2. An unclad base body of the control panel located at the top of the door, shown in a perspective view from a slightly oblique front view with the handle recess inserted. Fig. 3 the aperture base body with a handle attached to it in perspective and cropped view from a slanted rear view, Fig. 4. The aperture base body in cross-sectional view after inserting the handle shell and after attaching the rear handle piece. Fig. 5 the detail V in Fig. 4, Fig. 6. A lens base body with a handle inserted from the front and centered on the lens base body, shown in a perspective view from a slightly oblique rear view. Fig. 7 the detail VII in Fig. 6, Fig. 8 the aperture base body with handle recess inserted from the front and with front cover also attached from the front and aligned transversely at its lower edge, Fig. 9 the detail IX in Fig. 8.

[0024] Elements with the same function and mode of operation are each provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

[0025] The in Fig. 1. A schematically represented dishwasher 1 is a household dishwasher and, as part of a housing 5, includes a wash tub 2 for receiving items to be washed, such as dishes, pots, cutlery, glasses, cooking utensils, etc. The wash tub 2 can have a basic plan that is at least substantially rectangular, with a front V facing the user when in operation. The front V can form part of a kitchen front consisting of adjacent kitchen furniture or, in the case of a freestanding appliance, can be independent of any other furniture.

[0026] The wash tank 2 can be closed, particularly on this front side V, by a door 3. This door 3 is in Fig. Figure 1 shows the door in a partially open position, angled to the vertical. In its closed position, it stands upright and can be pivoted forward and downward around a lower horizontal axis in the direction of arrow 4, so that in the fully open position it lies at least almost horizontally. On its vertical, user-facing outer and front surface V in the closed position, the door 3 can be fitted with a decorative panel 6 to enhance its appearance and / or feel and / or to match surrounding kitchen furniture.

[0027] Dishwasher 1 is designed here as a freestanding unit or as a so-called semi-integrated unit.

[0028] The movable door 3 has an operating panel 8 in its upper area, which includes an access opening 7 accessible from the front for manually opening and / or closing the door 3. As shown in Fig. As becomes clear in Figure 2, this access opening 7 is in particular a component of a diaphragm base body 9, which can be designed, for example, as a one-piece plastic injection molded part and which, for its completion, must be provided with, among other things, display and operating electronics and external covers.

[0029] The access opening 7, accessible from the front V, can therefore be integrally integrated into the aperture body during its manufacture and may, for example, comprise a base area 10, a rear wall 11, and side walls 12. The access opening is thus mechanically stable in itself.

[0030] In the opening 7, a separate decorative inlay is formed as a visible handle 13 and held in place. This handle 13 therefore has a purely decorative function and does not have to fulfill any holding requirements.

[0031] Different handle scales 13 can be used; in particular, the handle scales 13 can each be supported by a retaining structure 10, 11, 12 of the opening 7. For example, the upper edge 18 of the handle scale 13 rests on an upper edge 22 of the back wall 11 belonging to the base body 9, as in Fig. 5 becomes clear. At this contact point, the centering of part 13 on the base body 9, which is described in more detail below, is also formed.

[0032] As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3, a gap 14 may also exist between the handle recess 13 and the rear wall 11 and / or lower wall 10 below the upper edge 22. The handle recess 13 can therefore be designed in different shapes and thicknesses, so that it can be designed differently for different series of dishwashers 1.

[0033] It is advantageous that the handle shell 13, which is inserted from the front V into the aperture base body ( Fig. 5) the rear 11 and lower area 10 as well as the side areas 12 of the access opening 7 are covered.

[0034] In addition to different dimensions and shapes, the handle recess 13 inserted into the access opening 7 can also be decorated in various ways. For example, a metallic surface can be provided on the visible side of the handle recess, such as by vapor deposition or a film applied to the plastic. Other materials are also possible for the handle recess 13. Thus, the design of the handle recess 13 can vary depending on the design and price range of the dishwasher 1.

[0035] In order to form and demold the aperture base 9 as a single injection-molded part, the access opening 7 can have a rear gripping area 14 in its upper region, accessible from below and sealed off at the front, for a user's fingers. This gripping area is not directly molded onto the aperture base 9, but rather forms part of a separate handle 15 attached to the aperture base 9. This handle 15 includes as a single component a downwardly partially open shell 16, which at least partially forms the rear gripping area 14. Thus, the access opening 7, with its frontally closed and downwardly open rear gripping area 14, is distributed across the aperture base 9 and the attached handle 15, making demolding of these parts via injection molding straightforward.

[0036] This handle 15 is therefore held here as a separate unit on the control panel 8 – more precisely: on the panel base 9 – specifically on its rear side, which faces away from the front V facing the user. In particular, for ease of assembly, the handle 15 can be clipped onto the base 9 of the control panel 8, as shown in Fig. Figure 3 indicates this. There, the handle 15 is positioned with its lower edge at approximately a 30° angle to the base body 9 and then pivoted inwards, so that the upper edge of the handle 15 is clipped onto correspondingly spring-loaded and interlocking upper retainers of the base body 9 during pivoting. The upper and lower retainers of the base body 9 for the attached handle 15 are shown in Fig. 3 highlighted by dashed circles. The handle 15 can itself have further brackets on its back for a reinforcing rail running in the transverse direction Q, which is not shown here, in order to increase the stability of the door 3, in particular against twisting of its corner areas relative to each other. The reinforcing rail extends in the transverse direction Q over at least almost the full width of the operating panel 8 and is, for example, a metallic rail with a height of several centimeters and, in particular, with several horizontal bends along its transverse length.

[0037] When the handle 15 is pivoted into position, its lower edge 17 engages in front of the upper edge 18 of the handle shell 13, which was previously inserted into the aperture base 9. This secures the handle shell 13, at least partially, namely at its upper edge 18, by the handle 15. Additionally, the handle shell 13 is held laterally to the base 9 by lateral fasteners 19, for example, clipped in place, and is also centered vertically on the aperture base 9 by a central lower extension 20. The additional centering with respect to the transverse direction Q at the upper edge 22 of the rear wall 11 also occurs during this insertion of the handle shell 13. Therefore, when the handle 15 is attached and pivoted into position, the separate handle shell 13, inserted from the front, is already aligned vertically and laterally on the aperture base 9.

[0038] With the achieved stable and visually appealing bezel assembly, it is also easily possible for a display window 21 arranged on the front V of the control panel 8 to extend across its entire width in the transverse direction Q and therefore offer a visually continuous design.

[0039] The access opening 7 is located particularly below this wide display window 21. Below the display window 21, for example, a continuous stainless steel front can be formed, to which the handle shell 13 can also be adapted with a stainless steel decor.

[0040] In detail, for the aligned mounting of the handle shell 13 in the transverse direction Q, a centering aid 23 is provided, which arises naturally from the design of components 13 and 9. This aid enables the centering of the handle shell 13 exclusively on the base body 9 with respect to the transverse direction Q, without requiring the functional use of any cover parts. These are only subsequently arranged on the base body 9.

[0041] For this purpose, a recess 24 is provided in the upper edge 22 of the rear wall 11, which is integrally embedded in the base body 9. This recess extends in the transverse direction Q and has downwardly tapered edge surfaces 25. Complementing this transverse alignment, at least one projecting part 26 is provided on the handle shell 13 in its upper edge region 27, which engages in the complementary recess 24 of the base body 9. During assembly of the handle shell 13, it automatically slides over the inclined edge surfaces 25 into the position correctly aligned with respect to the transverse direction. In the embodiment shown here, the overhang of the recess 24 in the transverse direction relative to the projecting part 26 is approximately one to three tenths of a millimeter, thus ensuring a virtually play-free fit without requiring any force for centering during assembly.

[0042] A reversal of these relationships is possible, so that the recess is then located on the handle scale – and the protruding part on the base body. It is also possible for several such recesses 24 and protruding parts 26 to be provided side by side.

[0043] In the assembly process described above, the handle recess 13, which is not only supported but also centered laterally, is secured against both lifting or being pulled forward and against lateral displacement by the subsequent pivoting of the handle piece 15 from behind on the upper edge 22 of the rear panel 11. This is achieved through the interaction of the projecting part 26 and the recess 24. A uniform gap pattern is thus created around the entire front V of the cover 8 in the area of ​​the inserted handle recess 13, whereby, as described above, no stainless steel through-hole of a front panel is required.

[0044] In one in the Fig. 8 and Fig.In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 9, which can be combined with the embodiment described above but can also be implemented independently of a separately inserted handle shell 13, the control panel base body 9 of the operating panel 8, shown here from a rear oblique angle, is provided at least on its (here downward-facing) front surface V with a large-area covering 28, in particular a stainless steel covering. This covering can either form a strip extending in the transverse direction Q on the front surface V – for example, below a large display window 21 – or the front panel covering 28 can be part of a hood that overlaps the control panel base body 9 and also includes side parts 29.

[0045] Bonding the cladding 28 to the base body 9 is possible in both cases.

[0046] In both cases, at least one large-area covering 28 has an edge area 30 that is folded over from the front V to the rear and is aligned with respect to the transverse direction Q via a interaction with a centering aid 31 on the aperture base body 9.

[0047] In combination with the aforementioned handle shell 13, at least one front cover 28 can have a transverse central recess for an access opening 7 with a handle shell 13, wherein this recess for the handle shell 13 can be punched out or similarly shaped and need not have an edge protruding from the plane of the cover, since this recess plays no role in the transverse centering and yet has a precisely fitting position on the aperture base body 9.

[0048] To enable this precise fit, the lower edge 30 of the front panel 28 is folded over and has a recess into which a protruding centering pin of the base body engages – or vice versa. The lower edge 30 projects, for example, one to four millimeters rearward from the front V of the panel 28, of which, for example, a 1.5-millimeter-deep recess 32 is carved out. A centering pin 33, which projects downwards in the mounted position with the door 3 closed, engages in this recess as part of the base body 9. The centering pin 33 can be manufactured integrally with the base body 9, for example, by injection molding.

[0049] As with the handle scale alignment described above, the recess 32 here also has an oversize of one to three tenths of a millimeter relative to the protruding centering pin 33, thus facilitating assembly. It goes without saying that various shapes and sizes are possible for the centering pin 33 and the recess 32. As above, the number of pins and recesses can also vary. And here too, a reversal of the ratio between the pin and the recess is possible.

[0050] The stainless steel hood 28, 29 or the front panel alone 28 is also aligned in this way only on the base body 9 in the transverse direction Q – without tools and with high accuracy. Here, too, angled leading edges and a correspondingly conical centering pin can be provided. However, the pin 33 can engage from behind in the recess 32 of the folded edge 30, so that the leading aid is then not required. Due to the small interference, the engagement is – as above – almost positively form-fitting.

[0051] Particularly in combination with the separate handle shell 13, which is also aligned with the base body 9, the high precision with which several components 13, 28 of an assembly are aligned with the base body 9 becomes apparent. This is because an asymmetrical gap pattern would be very noticeable, especially in a recessed area of ​​the front cover 28 for the handle shell 13. With the simple centering measures presented, completely symmetrical alignment of both the cover 28 and the handle shell 13 in the transverse direction Q is possible without requiring a pass through the stainless steel hood or the stainless steel cover, and without the need for an external support for alignment. Furthermore, no components are damaged by sharp edges that might otherwise protrude. Assembly is very simple, and precise alignment is achieved automatically and without the possibility of error.Several components can be centered very precisely on a base body 9 in this way. This results in a uniform gap pattern all around.

[0052] The invention is not limited to the centering of a cover 28 or a handle shell on a base body 9, but relates to all components held thereon and requiring precise alignment. This is achieved in each case by centering the respective component only to the base body 9 through a nearly form-fitting interlocking of the projecting part and the recess. Reference symbol list 1 dishwasher, 2 processing containers, 3 doors, 4. Swivel direction, 5 Body, 6 decorative plates, 7 access openings, 8 Control panel, 9 aperture base bodies, 10 Floor area, 11 Back panel, 12 side walls, 13 Handle scale, 14 Reaching area, 15 Handle piece, 16 half-open bowls, 17 lower edge of the handle, 18 upper edge of the handle scale, I 19 side fixings, 20 lower boom, 21 display windows, 22 Top edge of the back panel, 23 Centering aid of the handle shell, 24 Exclusion, 25 Edge area, 26 outstanding part, 27 upper edge of the handle scale, 28 large-area cladding, 29 side panels of a hood, 30 lower edge area of ​​the cladding, 31 Centering aid for the fairing 32 Exclusion, 33 centering pins, V front, Q transverse direction

Claims

[1] Dishwasher (1), in particular a household dishwasher, with a washing container (2) located in a body (5) of the dishwasher for cleaning dishes, glasses, cutlery or similar items to be cleaned, wherein the washing container (2) can be closed at its front (V) by a door (3) which is upright in a closed position and movable for opening thereof, and wherein the door (3) is assigned a control panel (8) in its upper region in the closed position, which control panel comprises an access opening (7) for manually opening and / or closing the door (3), characterized byin that a separate decorative insert is arranged in the engagement opening (7) as a visible handle shell (13) and is aligned with respect to the transverse direction (Q) via an interaction with a centering aid (23) on a panel base body (9) which is at least partially covered on the outside, wherein the handle shell (13) fulfills a purely decorative function without any holding tasks and covers the rear and lower region (10; 11) as well as lateral regions (12) of the engagement opening (7). [2] Dishwasher (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that for alignment in the transverse direction at least one projecting part (26) is provided on the handle shell (13), which engages in at least one complementary recess (24) of the base body (9) - or vice versa. [3] Dishwasher (1) according to claim 2, characterized by that the recess (24) has an excess of one to three tenths of a millimetre in relation to the transverse direction (Q) relative to the projecting part (26). [4] Dishwasher (1), in particular a household dishwasher, with a washing container (2) located in a body (5) of the dishwasher for cleaning dishes, glasses, cutlery or similar items to be cleaned, wherein the washing container (2) can be closed at its front side (V) by a door (3) which is upright in a closed position and movable for opening thereof, and wherein the door (3) is assigned, in its upper region in the closed position, a control panel (8) which has a supporting panel base body (9) and which is provided at least on its front side (V) with a large-area covering (28), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the at least one large-area cladding (28) has a folded edge region (30) which is aligned with respect to the transverse direction (Q) via an interaction with a centering aid (31) on the panel base body (9). [5] Dishwasher (1) according to claim 4, characterized by that the at least one front panel has a transversely central recess for an engagement opening with a handle shell (13). [6] Dishwasher (1) according to claim 5, characterized by that the recess for the handle shell (13) is punched out or similarly shaped and has no edge protruding from the plane of the covering (28). [7] Dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized by that the lower edge (30) of the front panel (28) is folded over and has a recess (32) into which a projecting centering pin (33) of the base body (9) engages - or vice versa. [8] Dishwasher (1) according to claim 7, characterized by that the recess (32) has an oversize of one to three tenths of a millimetre compared to the projecting centring pin (33). [9] Dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized by that the folded edge (30) projects one to four millimeters backwards from the front side (V) of the panel (28). [10] Dishwasher (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the engagement opening (7) has in its upper region a rear gripping area (14) accessible from below and sealed off at the front for the fingers of a user. [11] Dishwasher (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the handle shell (13) is held at least in part by a handle piece (15) which is attached as a separate structural unit to a base body (9) of the control panel (8). [12] Dishwasher (1) according to claim 11, characterized by that the handle (15) is held on the base body (9) of the control panel (8) on its rear side, which is facing away from the front side (V) facing a user. [13] Dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized by that the handle (15) is clipped to the base body (9) of the control panel (8). [14] Dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized by that the handle (15) comprises a half-open shell (16) which at least partially forms the rear gripping area (14). [15] Dishwasher (1) according to claim 14, characterized by that the separate handle shell (13) in the installed position is engaged behind by a lower edge (17) of the handle piece (15) and is thus held by this. [16] Dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 11 to 15, characterized bythat the handle (15) is attached obliquely to the base body (9) of the panel for its assembly with its underside from the rear thereof and pivoted upwards and during this pivoting has come into a position aligned with respect to the transverse direction in front of the front side of the upper edge (18) of the handle shell (13).

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