Recessed Handle Door Leaf Lighting for Easier Refrigerator Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household refrigeration appliances with recessed grips lack effective illumination and integrated control solutions, making it difficult to open the door leaf and providing limited functionality for visualizing operational states.
Innovation Solution
A household refrigeration appliance with a door leaf featuring a recessed grip and integrated lighting, where LEDs are positioned to illuminate the grip, and electronic components are housed within the door leaf to control the cooling system and provide interactive lighting for operational state visualization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the recessed grip is illuminated to improve visibility and ease of operation, then the illumination quality improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional lighting components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the lighting function with the electronic control device housing. The housing serves dual purposes: it contains the electronics and simultaneously acts as the light source structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate lighting components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the illumination function for improved ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic control device housing is designed to perform multiple functions: it houses the electronic components, provides structural support, and serves as the light source for illuminating the recessed grip. This multi-functionality approach allows a single component to fulfill multiple roles, avoiding additional complexity from separate dedicated lighting structures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the electronic control device is integrated into the door leaf to provide visual feedback and control functions, then the functionality and user interaction improve, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the electronic control device directly into the door leaf structure, combining multiple functions (control, visualization, and lighting) into a single integrated unit. This merging approach, while increasing functionality, streamlines manufacturing by reducing the number of separate components and assembly steps compared to having separate distributed systems.
3Illumination intensity
If the light radiates from the undercut into the recessed grip to provide illumination, then the illumination effectiveness improves, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light source from a separate dedicated housing and integrates it directly into the electronic control device housing. This extraction and integration approach simplifies the overall structure by eliminating redundant housing elements while maintaining effective light radiation from the undercut into the recessed grip.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances usability by providing even illumination of the recessed grip for easy door opening and visual feedback on operational states, such as alarms and energy modes, through interactive lighting that adjusts based on user proximity and appliance functions.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one lamp can radiate its light from the undercut into the recessed grip
Implementation Method 2
the electronic control device is set up to control the cooling device in such a way that the interior has at least approximately a target temperature
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance (1). The domestic appliance comprises an interior chamber, an electronic control apparatus which has an electronics system (20) and which is designed to control at least one function of the domestic appliance during operation of the domestic appliance, and a door leaf (2) for opening and closing the interior chamber, which door leaf has an inner face which faces the interior chamber and an outer face (7) which is averted from the interior chamber. A recessed handle (4) is arranged in the outer face (7) of the door leaf (2) and comprises a handle (13) which forms an undercut (16) in relation to the outer face (7) of the door leaf (2). The domestic appliance further comprises a lighting arrangement having at least one lighting means which is, in particular, in the form of an LED (21) and which is designed to illuminate the recessed handle (4). At least a bulk of the electronics system (20) and the at least one lighting means (21) form a common assembly (22) which is arranged within the door leaf (2) next to the undercut (16), so that the at least one lighting means (21) can shine its light out of the undercut (16) into the recessed handle (4).