CN118517834A - Refrigerating appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerator including a cabinet having a storage compartment and a door assembly for opening and closing the storage compartment, the door assembly including an inner door and an outer door. The outer door is located the side of the box that faces away from of inner door under the closed condition, and the inner door includes inside casing and the outer box that is used for forming the storing chamber, the storing chamber can be opened and closed by the outer door. The inner frame has an inner side wall extending around the front-rear direction and an inner frame opening penetrating in the front-rear direction surrounded by the inner side wall. The outer case is formed in a box shape and has a main wall oriented transversely to the front-rear direction and an outer side wall extending around the front-rear direction. The inner frame is embedded into the outer box so that the outer side wall is sleeved on the outer side of the inner side wall, the inner side wall surrounds the front-rear direction to limit the storage cavity, and at least one part of the main wall is opposite to the opening of the inner frame and limits the storage cavity in the backward direction. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the structure of an inner door of a refrigerator can be improved.

Description

Refrigerating appliance

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of household appliances, in particular to a refrigeration appliance.

Background

Nowadays, with the improvement of living standard of people, the refrigerating appliance has been put into thousands of households, such as refrigerators, sideboards, etc. Refrigeration appliances generally include a cabinet and a door movable relative to the cabinet. For convenience of use, refrigeration appliances employing a double door design are known. For example, the door of the refrigeration appliance may be designed to include an outer door and an inner door. The inner door can be provided with a storage cavity, so that a user can take and put articles in the refrigeration appliance only by opening the outer door, thereby being convenient for the user to use and reducing the loss of cold when opening the door.

At present, the refrigerator still needs to be improved in structure and function. For example, the inner door of the existing refrigerator has the defects of complex structure, high cost, inconvenient assembly and the like.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide an improved refrigeration appliance to optimize the structure of the inner door of the refrigeration appliance. In particular, the storage cavity of the inner door can be formed in a manner that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. In addition, the heat exchange between the storage cavity and the storage chamber of the refrigeration device can be improved, and/or the attractiveness of the inner door can be improved at lower cost.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigeration appliance including a cabinet having a storage compartment and a door assembly for opening and closing the storage compartment, the door assembly including an inner door and an outer door. The outer door is located at one side of the inner door, which is back to the box body, in a closed state, the inner door comprises an inner frame and an outer box, the inner frame and the outer box are used for forming a storage cavity, and the storage cavity can be opened and closed by the outer door. The inner frame has an inner side wall extending around the front-rear direction and an inner frame opening penetrating in the front-rear direction surrounded by the inner side wall. The outer case is formed in a box shape and has a main wall oriented transversely to the front-rear direction and an outer side wall extending around the front-rear direction. The inner frame is embedded into the outer box so that the outer side wall is sleeved on the outer side of the inner side wall, the inner side wall surrounds the front-rear direction to limit the storage cavity, and at least one part of the main wall is opposite to the opening of the inner frame and limits the storage cavity in the backward direction.

Thus, the storage cavity of the inner door can be formed in a manner that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. By having the main wall of the outer box opposite the inner frame opening, the storage cavity may be delimited in a rearward direction by the main wall of the outer box (rather than the inner frame). Therefore, a thinner wall may be spaced between the storage chamber and the storage chamber to facilitate heat exchange between the storage chamber and the storage chamber. In addition, the cost can be reduced. This results in, on the one hand, a reduction in the material required for the inner frame and, on the other hand, a structure of such an inner frame which is easier to release.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the surface of the main wall facing the storage cavity is provided with a decorative area, at least a portion of which is exposed from the inner frame opening to the storage cavity. Thereby, the structure can be simplified and the installation is facilitated.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the edge of the decorative zone is at least partially located outside the opening of the inner frame as seen in the front-rear direction so as to be hidden by the inner frame. Therefore, even if the edge of the decoration area is uneven or not beautiful, the appearance of the inner door is not adversely affected.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the outer box comprises a tub-shaped outer box base and a first ornamental piece secured to the outer box base, wherein the first ornamental piece overlies the outer box base at the ornamental region to form an inner surface of the main wall at the ornamental region. This helps to give the inner door a diversified, attractive appearance in a simple and low-cost manner.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first trim piece is configured as a flexible trim piece. The flexible ornamental piece includes, for example, at least one of: leather, cloth, flexible plastic film. Therefore, the inner door can present various surfaces at the storage cavity. The flexible decorative element may in particular be made of leather. This not only can enhance the quality of the inner door, but also can prevent the user's use experience from being adversely affected by condensation of moisture occurring at the main wall. The flexible trim may be bonded to the outer box base, for example, such that the flexible trim can be conveniently and stably attached to the outer box base. The inner side wall optionally abuts against the flexible trim, so that a gap between the inner side wall of the inner frame and the main wall of the outer box can be prevented and manufacturing difficulty can be reduced.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the outer box base body is provided with at least one through hole extending along the edge of the decorative area, wherein at least one end of the flexible decorative element passes through the at least one through hole, bends back around the edge of the at least one through hole and extends to the side of the outer box base body facing away from the storage cavity. Thereby, the flexible decorative member can be arranged smoothly on the outer case base in a manner that is easy to handle, and wrinkling or edge lifting of the flexible decorative member is prevented.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the outer box further comprises a second decoration secured to the outer box base, said second decoration being arranged at a side of the main wall of the outer box facing away from the storage cavity, wherein said at least one end of the flexible decoration is clamped between the second decoration and the outer box base. Thereby, it can be further ensured that the at least one end portion of the flexible trim is stably fixed, and the at least one end portion of the flexible trim can also be shielded rearward by means of the second trim.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the second trim piece and/or the outer box base is provided with a recess for receiving said at least one end of the flexible trim piece. Thus, the assembly can be facilitated, and the structure of the outer case can be made more stable.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the second garnish and/or the outer case base is made of a rigid material, so that the end portion of the flexible garnish can be stably held.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the second decoration covers the at least one end of the flexible decoration and the at least one through hole of the outer box base at a side of the main wall of the outer box facing away from the storage cavity. Thereby, the beauty can be improved and the cleaning is facilitated.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the second trim piece is configured as a trim panel forming an outer surface of the main wall facing away from the storage cavity. The second decoration can be used for clamping the flexible decoration and can also play a role in decoration.

The second decorative member may be bonded to the outer case base body, for example, so that the structure can be simplified and the installation can be facilitated.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the second trim piece is configured as a heat conducting member for transferring heat between the storage cavity and the storage compartment. The second decorative piece may have various functions in order to optimize the function of the inner door and to make the inner door compact.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the flexible trim element has a warp direction and a weft direction transverse to the warp direction, wherein the flexible trim element has a different elasticity in the warp direction than in the weft direction. The at least one end portion of the flexible decoration may include two end portions on one of a warp direction and a weft direction of the flexible decoration, which is more elastic. Thereby, the probability of wrinkling or edge lifting of the flexible decorative element can be further reduced.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the at least one end portion includes a first end portion of the flexible garnish in a first direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion. The at least one through hole may include a first through hole and a second through hole at opposite ends of the decoration region, respectively. The first and second through holes may extend in a second direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the first direction. The first and second ends may pass through the first and second through holes, respectively. Thereby, the flexible garnish can be stably fixed to the outer case base body.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first trim part is configured as a rigid trim part, which can be mounted to the outer box base body, for example by at least one of an adhesive connection, a magnetic connection, a snap connection, a plug connection. The outer box and the inner frame may be assembled together after the first trim is mounted to the outer box base so as to avoid the first trim from scratching the inner surface of the inner frame. In addition, the protruding portion of the inner frame can be prevented from interfering with the mounting of the first decorative member.

Alternatively, the outer box base and/or the inner box may be formed as a single integral component. Thus, the manufacturing and assembling processes can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the inner side wall of the inner frame is provided with a protrusion protruding inwards from the inner side of the inner side wall, such that the magazine can be positioned in the magazine by means of the protrusion. The boss may be at least partially projected in the front-to-rear direction on the decorative region. Thereby, the manufacturing and assembling processes can be simplified.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the inner door comprises a door base provided with an opening therethrough in a front-rear direction, the inner frame and the outer box being mounted to the door base at the opening. The inner side wall may for example be provided with at least one mounting lug protruding outwards from the outer side of the inner side wall, the mounting lug being fixed to the door base from the rear side of the door base, so that the inner frame can be mounted to the door base in a rear-to-front direction. The outer box is optionally configured to be able to be nested over the inner frame in a back-to-front direction and mounted to the inner frame and the door base. The outer box may be suspended from the door base and secured to the inner frame. This helps to simplify the assembly process and improve yield.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the door base is provided with a rearwardly projecting door dike at the rear side of the door base. The outer side wall may be provided with a hanging portion protruding forward from a front end of the outer side wall, for example, so that the outer case can be hung on the door dike by the hanging portion. Alternatively, the inner frame may comprise a support frame below the inner side wall, by means of which the inner frame is supported on the dike. Thus, the outer box and/or the inner frame may be mounted and supported by the door dike, so that the structure of the inner door is more stable and compact.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the front end of the inner side wall is embedded in the opening of the door base, the bottom of the front end of the inner side wall is supported on the opening side wall of the door base surrounding the opening, and the rear end of the inner side wall is cantilevered back out of the opening. The inner frame can be stably mounted to the door base. The support bracket may for example comprise a first support portion extending downwardly from the bottom side of the inner side wall, the first support portion being supported on the door dike and bearing forward against the rear side of the door base, and a second support portion extending rearwardly from the first support portion, the second support portion supporting a portion of the inner side wall overhanging rearwardly beyond the opening. Thus, the support frame can stably support the inner frame.

Drawings

The principles, features and advantages of the present invention may be better understood by describing the present invention in more detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings include:

FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically illustrate perspective views of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a door assembly of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B schematically illustrates an exploded view of an inner door of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3A, 3B and 3C schematically show perspective, front and cross-sectional views of an inner frame and an outer box, respectively, of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4A, 4B and 4C schematically show a perspective view, a cross-sectional view and a partial enlarged view, respectively, of an outer case of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a casing base in a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

List of reference numerals

1. Box body

10. Storage chamber

2. Inner door

20. Storage cavity

21. Inner frame

211. Inner side wall

2111. Raised portion

2112. Mounting lug

212. Inner frame opening

213. Supporting frame

2131. A first support part

2132. A second support part

22. Outer box

221. Main wall

2211. Decoration area

222. Outer side wall

2221. Suspension part

223. Outer box substrate

2231. Through hole

2232. First through hole

2233. Second through hole

2234. Convex edge

2235. Convex rib

2236. Concave part

224. First decoration piece

2241. End portion

2242. First end portion

2243. Second end portion

225. Second decoration

23. Door base

231. An opening

232. Door dike

233. Side wall of opening

3. Outer door

4. Storage box

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantageous technical effects to be solved by the present invention more apparent, the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

First, in order to facilitate understanding, returning to the description of the background art section, the prior art refrigerator has problems of complicated structure of the inner door, high cost, inconvenient assembly, and the like.

In view of at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, or other possible technical problems, one exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator including a cabinet having a storage compartment and a door assembly for opening and closing the storage compartment, the door assembly including an inner door and an outer door, the outer door being located at a side of the inner door facing away from the cabinet in a closed state, the inner door including an inner frame and an outer case for forming a storage cavity, the storage cavity being openable and closable by the outer door, wherein the inner frame has an inner side wall extending around a front-rear direction and an inner frame opening penetrating in the front-rear direction surrounded by the inner side wall; and an outer case formed in a box shape and having a main wall oriented transversely to the front-rear direction and an outer side wall extending around the front-rear direction, wherein the inner frame is embedded in the outer case such that the outer side wall is sleeved outside the inner side wall, the inner side wall surrounds the front-rear direction to define a storage chamber, and at least a portion of the main wall is opposed to the opening of the inner frame and defines the storage chamber in the rear direction.

For a better understanding of the present invention, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Before beginning the detailed description, it should be noted that directional terms used in the description refer to the normal use state of the refrigeration appliance for convenience of description and are not to be construed as absolute limitations on the corresponding features. In some of the drawings, the height direction H, the width direction W, and the depth direction D, which are perpendicular to each other, are schematically shown by arrows.

Fig. 1A and 1B schematically illustrate perspective views of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

It can be seen that the refrigerator comprises a cabinet 11 having a storage compartment 10 and a door assembly arranged to open and close the storage compartment 10. The storage compartment 10 may include, for example, a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, etc. The storage chamber 10 may have an access opening open to the front, through which a user may access and place items within the storage chamber 10. As shown in fig. 1A, in this embodiment, the front-rear direction may be the same as the depth direction D of the refrigerator. The door assembly comprises an inner door 2 and an outer door 3. The outer door 3 is located on the side of the inner door 2 facing away from the cabinet 1 in the closed state. The inner door 2 is movably connected to the case 11. For example, the inner door 2 is pivotably connected to the case 11 such that the inner door 2 can be rotated about a pivot axis extending in the height direction H to open or close the storage chamber 10. The door assembly is configured in the form of a "door-on-door". The inner door 2 comprises a storage unit for forming a storage cavity 20. The storage unit comprises an inner frame 21 and an outer box 22. The outer door 3 may be arranged to be able to open and close the storage cavity 20. With the inner door 2 closed, the user may simply open the outer door 3 and access the contents of the storage cavity 20. Fig. 1A shows the door assembly as a whole in an open state, with the storage compartment 10 open so that a user can access the items within the storage compartment 10. Fig. 1B shows a state in which the outer door 3 is opened and the inner door 2 is closed. In this case, the user can take and place the articles in the refrigerator without completely opening the storage compartment 10. Therefore, the cooling device is convenient for users to use, and reduces the cooling loss.

In this embodiment, the refrigerator may be implemented as a combination refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, for example. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is equally applicable to other types of refrigerators, such as a refrigerator alone or a freezer. In addition, the present invention can be applied to other refrigeration appliances other than a refrigerator, such as a wine cabinet, as needed. The invention is particularly suitable for household refrigeration appliances.

A refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is further described below in conjunction with fig. 2A and 2B. Fig. 2A schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a door assembly of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2B schematically shows an exploded view of the inner door 2 of the refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen from fig. 2A and 2B, the inner frame 21 may have an inner side wall 211 extending around the front-rear direction and an inner frame opening 212 penetrating through in the front-rear direction surrounded by the inner side wall 211. The outer case 22 may be formed in a box shape and have a main wall 221 oriented transversely to the front-rear direction and an outer side wall 222 extending around the front-rear direction. The inner frame 21 may be inserted into the outer box 22 such that the outer side wall 222 is nested outside the inner side wall 211. The inner sidewall 211 surrounds the front-rear direction to define the storage chamber 20. At least a portion of the main wall 221 is opposite the inner frame opening 212 and delimits the storage cavity 20 in a rearward direction.

Thereby, the storage cavity 20 of the inner door 2 can be formed in a manner that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. The inner frame 21 and the outer case 22 are formed as separate parts, respectively. Accordingly, the inner frame 21 and the outer case 22 may be made of different materials, thereby enabling cost saving. For example, the outer casing 22 may be made of a material capable of directly contacting the food, and the material of the inner frame 21 may not necessarily satisfy the requirement of directly contacting the food. The inner frame 21 and the outer box 22 may also have different appearances. For example, the inner frame 21 and the outer case 22 may be formed to have different colors, so that the color difference of the front and rear surfaces of the inner door 2 can be achieved in an easy and low-cost manner.

By having the main wall 221 of the outer box 22 opposite the inner frame opening 212, the storage cavity 20 may be delimited in a rearward direction by the main wall 221 of the outer box 22 (instead of the inner frame 21). Thus, the rear wall of the storage unit at the rear of the storage cavity 20 may have a thinner thickness. For example, the rear wall of the storage unit may not necessarily include a double-layered structure formed of the outer case 22 and the inner frame 21, but may be formed of only the main wall 221 of the outer case 22. Thereby, heat exchange between the storage chamber 20 and the storage chamber 10 can be facilitated. In addition, the cost can be reduced. This results in, on the one hand, a reduction in the material required for the inner frame 21 and, on the other hand, a structure of such an inner frame 21 which is easier to release.

In addition, this configuration is particularly advantageous for achieving a desired appearance of the storage cavity 20.

The surface of the main wall 221 facing the storage cavity 20 may be provided with a decorative area 2211, at least a portion of said decorative area 2211 being exposed from the inner frame opening 212 to the storage cavity 20. Thereby, the structure can be simplified and the installation is facilitated. In order to improve the aesthetic appearance of the inner surface of the storage unit, the inner frame 21, in particular the inner side surface of the inner frame 21, may be sprayed. By providing the decorative area 2211 on the main wall 221 of the outer case 22, damage to the appearance of the inner frame 21 during formation of the decorative area 2211 or during assembly can be prevented.

The decorative area 2211 may be distinguished from other surface portions of the outer box 22, for example, in appearance (e.g., color, texture, transmittance, etc.).

The edge of the decor region 2211 may be located at least partially outside the inner frame opening 212 so as to be shielded by the inner frame 21, as viewed in the front-rear direction. For example, the decorative area 2211 of the main wall 221 may be provided with a desired color or pattern by a spray coating process. The decorative area 2211 thus formed typically does not have a flat edge. Alternatively, the flat edges of the decorative area 2211 may be realized at a relatively high cost. By shielding the edge of the decorative area 2211 with the inner frame 21, even if the edge of the decorative area 2211 is uneven or unsightly, the appearance of the storage unit is not adversely affected. The area of the decorative area 2211 may be larger than the area of the inner frame opening 212. This can simplify the structure and reduce the cost.

The inner frame 21 may be formed as a single, unitary component, thereby enabling reduced costs and simplified assembly. For example, the inner frame 21 may be formed as an injection molded plastic piece.

As shown in fig. 2B, the inner side wall 211 of the inner frame 21 may be provided with a protrusion 2111 protruding inward from the inner side of the inner side wall 211, so that the magazine 4 (see fig. 2A) can be positioned within the magazine 20 by means of the protrusion 2111. For example, the magazine 4 may be provided with a positioning recess such that the boss 2111 can be fitted into the positioning recess. The boss 2111 may be at least partially projected in the front-rear direction on the decorative area 2211. Since the inner frame 21 has the inner frame opening 212 penetrating in the front-rear direction, the inner frame 21 having the protrusions 2111 is easy to manufacture, and particularly, the inner frame 21 is easy to release during the manufacturing process. In other words, since the inner frame 21 does not have the rear wall, the protrusion 2111 protruding inward from the inner side of the inner side wall 211 does not cause a significant increase in the difficulty of demolding of the inner frame 21. In addition, in the case where the decorative region 2211 is located on the main wall 221 of the outer case 22, the boss 2111 protruding inward from the inner side wall 211 does not interfere with the formation of the decorative region 2211 nor with the assembly of the storage unit.

As can be seen more clearly in fig. 3A, 3B and 3C, the boss 2111 is at least partially projected onto the decorative area 2211 in the front-rear direction. Fig. 3A, 3B and 3C schematically show perspective, front and cross-sectional views of an inner frame 21 and an outer box 22, respectively, of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cross-sectional line of fig. 3C is referred to as cross-sectional line B-B in fig. 3B.

Returning to fig. 2B. The inner door 2 may include, for example, a door base 23, the door base 23 being provided with an opening 231 penetrating in the front-rear direction. The inner frame 21 and the outer box 22 may be mounted to the door base 23 at the opening 231. The color of the inner side wall 211 of the inner frame 21 may be the same as the color of the front surface of the door base 23, for example. The outer side wall 222 of the outer case 22 may be, for example, the same color as the rear surface of the door base 23. Thereby, the front surface of the inner door 2 may be made uniform in color and/or the rear surface of the inner door 2 may be made uniform in color.

The inner side wall 211 of the inner frame 21 may be provided with at least one mounting lug 2112 protruding outwardly from the outer side of the inner side wall 211. The mounting lugs 2112 may be secured to the door base 23 from the rear side of the door base 23 so that the inner frame 21 may be mounted to the door base 23 in a back-to-front direction. For example, a threaded member may pass through the mounting lugs 2112 and be threaded into threaded holes formed in the door base 23, thereby securing the inner frame 21 to the door base 23.

The outer case 22 may be configured to be able to be fitted over the inner frame 21 in a back-to-front direction and mounted to the inner frame 21 and the door base 23.

The outer box 22 may for example be suspended from the door base 23 and fixed to the inner frame 21. Thereby, the inner door 2 can have a stable structure and be assembled easily. A connection structure is provided between any two of the door base 23, the inner frame 21 and the outer case 22.

Referring to fig. 2A, the gate base 23 may be optionally provided with a gate bank 232 located at the rear side of the gate base 23 and protruding rearward. The gate bank 232 may, for example, circumferentially surround one revolution, see fig. 1A. As shown in fig. 2B, the outer side wall 222 may be provided with a hanging portion 2221 protruding forward from the front end of the outer side wall 222, so that the outer case 22 can be hung on the door dike 232 by the hanging portion 2221. For example, the hanging portion 2221 may be configured as a hook bent downward, and can be hung on a hanging protrusion formed on the door dike 232. As shown in fig. 3A, projections of the hanging portion 2221 and the mounting lug 2112 in the height direction may overlap at least partially, thereby making the structure more compact. Alternatively, the inner frame 21 may include a supporting frame 213 below the inner sidewall 211, and the inner frame 21 is supported on the dike 232 by the supporting frame 213. Thereby, the storage unit can be installed and supported by the door dike 232, so that the structure of the inner door 2 is more stable and compact. The outer box 22 may be fixed to the inner frame 21 at the support brackets 213 of the inner frame 21, thereby further making the structure of the inner door 2 more stable and compact. The support bracket 213 may be constructed as a single integral component with the inner sidewall 211, such as a single injection molded plastic piece. Alternatively, the support bracket 213 may also be formed as a separate component with respect to the inner sidewall 211.

As shown in fig. 2A, the front end of the inner sidewall 211 may be inserted into the opening 231 of the door base 23. The bottom of the front end of the inner sidewall 211 may be supported on an opening sidewall 233 of the door base 23 surrounding the opening 231 (see fig. 2B). The rear end of the inner sidewall 211 may be cantilevered rearwardly beyond the opening 231. The inner frame 21 can be stably mounted to the door base 23. This configuration helps to improve the distribution of forces, particularly in view of the weight of the items contained within the storage cavity 20.

As can be seen in conjunction with fig. 2A and 3C, the support bracket 213 may include, among other things, a first support portion 2131 extending downwardly from a bottom side of the inner sidewall 211 and a second support portion 2131 extending rearwardly from the first support portion 2131. The first support portion 2131 may be supported on the dike 232 and forward against the rear side of the door base 23 to help further improve force distribution. The second support portion 2131 may support a portion of the inner sidewall 211 that is rearwardly overhanging the opening 231. Thereby, the support frames 213 can stably support the inner frame 21.

There is also provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention a method and structure for forming a decorative area in a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance may include: a base member provided with a decorative region; a flexible garnish fixed to the base member and covering the decoration region, wherein the base member may include a plate-shaped portion, the plate-shaped portion may be provided with a through hole penetrating from a first side thereof to a second side opposite to the first side, the decoration region is provided on the first side of the plate-shaped portion, and at least one end portion of the flexible garnish may pass through the at least one through hole from the first side of the plate-shaped portion, be bent back around an edge of the at least one through hole, and extend to the second side. This makes it possible to achieve an attractive decorative effect in a simple and low-cost manner. The base member may be, for example, an outer case base of the outer case 22 described above, a handle base of a door handle, a drawer base of a drawer, a storage case, or the like. The following will exemplarily be described in connection with the outer case base of the outer case 22.

Fig. 4A, 4B and 4C schematically illustrate a perspective view, a cross-sectional view and a partially enlarged view, respectively, of an outer case 22 of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cross-sectional line of fig. 4B is referred to as a cross-sectional line C-C in fig. 2B, and fig. 4C illustrates an enlarged view of the circled portion in fig. 4B.

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the outer case 22 may include a tub-shaped outer case base 223 and a first decorative piece 224 fixed to the outer case base 223. The first decorative piece 224 may overlie the outer box base 223 at the decorative zone 2211 to form an inner surface of the main wall 221 at the decorative zone 2211. This helps to give the storage unit a diversified, attractive appearance in a simple and cost-effective manner.

The first decorative piece 224 may be configured in particular as a flexible decorative piece. The flexible trim piece may include, for example, at least one of: leather, cloth, flexible plastic film. The leather may include natural leather, artificial leather, synthetic leather, and the like. The cloth may comprise, for example, a woven fabric nonwoven fabrics, and the like. The flexible decorative element may in particular be made of leather. This not only can enhance the quality of the storage unit, but also can prevent the user's use experience from being adversely affected by condensation of moisture occurring at the main wall 221. Flexible decorative elements such as leather or cloth often have uneven edges. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, their edges may be shielded by means of the inner side walls 211 of the inner frame 21.

The flexible decorative member may be adhered to the outer case base 223 by an adhesive or a tape or the like. The inner side wall 211 of the inner frame 21 may abut against the flexible garnish, so that a gap can be prevented from being left between the inner side wall 211 of the inner frame 21 and the main wall 221 of the outer case 22. Due to the elasticity of the flexible garnish, the inner frame 21 and the outer case 22 can have a large dimensional tolerance, so that the manufacturing difficulty can be reduced and the assembly can be facilitated.

The base member, such as the outer case base 223, may be formed as a single, unitary member. The base member may include a sidewall extending from the first side in a direction opposite the second side in a direction transverse to the plate-like portion, the sidewall may surround the decorative zone 2211, wherein the sidewall is formed as one piece with the plate-like portion. In particular, the base member may be formed in a basin shape.

The outer box base 223 may, for example, be provided with at least one through hole 2231 extending along an edge of the decorative area 2211. The at least one through hole 2231 may extend from the front side to the rear side of the outer case base 223. As can be seen in connection with fig. 4A, 4B and 4C, at least one end 2241 of the flexible trim piece may pass through the at least one through hole 2231, bend back around the edge of the at least one through hole 2231, and extend to a side (i.e., the second side) of the outer case base 223 facing away from the storage cavity 20. "bending back" means that the flexible ornamental piece is bent by an angle greater than 90 degrees when passing through the through hole 2231. For example, the at least one end 2241 of the flexible decorative element may be bent back more than 135 degrees, in particular 180 degrees, around the edge of the at least one through hole 2231. In one aspect, an edge of the at least one end 2241 of the flexible trim piece may be hidden. On the other hand, the at least one end 2241 of the flexible garnish can be more stably fixed to the outer case base 223. After the flexible decorative member is fixed to the outer case base 223, problems such as wrinkling or edge lifting may occur. By bending the at least one end 2241 of the flexible decorative member back around the edge of the at least one through hole 2231, the force of fixing the at least one end 2241 to the outer case base 223 can be increased, thereby preventing wrinkling or edge lifting of the flexible decorative member. In particular, in the case of a large area of the flexible decorative element, the flexible decorative element can be arranged in a smooth manner on the outer case base 223 by means of the at least one through-opening 2231 in a manner that facilitates handling. In the outer case base 223, there is no need to provide a slot for receiving and concealing the end 2241 of the flexible ornamental piece. Further, it is not necessary to perform an operation of tucking the end 2241 of the flexible garnish into the slot during the placement of the flexible garnish. In the case where the end 2241 of the flexible garnish is long, the plunging operation tends to be difficult and needs to be performed with the aid of a specific tool. In the case where the decorative area 2211 of the base member is surrounded by the side wall thereof, such a caulking operation will be more difficult to perform. For example, without the through hole 2231, disposing the flexible garnish on the ornamental region 2211 of the tub-shaped outer case base 223 as shown in fig. 4A requires the outer case base 223 to have a more complicated structure and requires a more complicated mounting operation. In addition, since the flexible garnish generally has irregular or irregular edges, in the case where the end 2241 of the flexible garnish is long, the dimensional error thereof tends to be large. Accordingly, a deeper slot needs to be provided to accommodate the end 2241 of the flexible trim. This increases manufacturing difficulty and cost, and adversely affects aesthetics.

For example, the at least one end 2241 may include a first end 2242 of the flexible garnish in a first direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and a second end 2243 opposite the first end 2242. The at least one via 2231 may include a first via 2232 and a second via 2233 at opposite ends of the decorative area 2211, respectively. The first and second via holes 2232 and 2233 may extend in a second direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the first direction. The first end 2242 and the second end 2243 may pass through the first through hole 2232 and the second through hole 2233, respectively. Thereby, the flexible garnish can be stably fixed to the outer case base 223. The lengths of the first and second through holes 2232 and 2233 in the second direction may be greater than the lengths of the first and second ends 2242 and 2243, respectively, in the second direction in order to ensure that the flexible decorative pieces can be smoothly covered on the main wall 221.

The flexible trim piece may have a warp direction and a weft direction transverse to the warp direction, wherein the flexible trim piece has a different elasticity in the warp direction than in the weft direction. The at least one end 2241 of the flexible decorative member may include two ends 2241 on one of the flexible decorative member that is more elastic in the warp and weft directions. The flexible decorative member is more prone to wrinkling or edge lifting in the direction of greater elasticity. By making the flexible decorative member stably fixed at both ends in the direction in which the elasticity is large, the probability of wrinkling or edge lifting of the flexible decorative member can be further reduced.

The outer box 22 may also include a second trim 225 secured to the outer box base 223, the second trim 225 being disposed at a side of the main wall 221 of the outer box 22 facing away from the storage cavity 20. The at least one end 2241 of the flexible trim may be clamped between the second trim 225 and the outer box base 223. Thereby, it can be further ensured that the at least one end 2241 of the flexible garnish is stably fixed. The second decorative piece 225 and/or the outer case base 223 may be made of a rigid material, in particular, so that the end 2241 of the flexible decorative piece can be stably held. For example, the second decorative piece 225 may be made of metal, plastic, and/or glass, among other materials. By "the second trim piece is made of a rigid material" it is meant that the second trim piece 225 does not need to be deformed during installation and use. Accordingly, the second decorative member 225 can be mounted in a simple and stable manner. In addition, the at least one end 2241 of the flexible decorative member may be shielded from the rear by means of the second decorative member 225. The second decoration 225 may cover the at least one end 2241 of the flexible decoration and the at least one through hole 2231 of the outer case base 223 on a side of the main wall 221 of the outer case 22 facing away from the storage cavity 20. Thereby, the beauty can be improved and the cleaning is facilitated. The second decorative piece 225 may be bonded to the outer box base 223, for example. In particular, both the first decorative piece 224 and the second decorative piece 225 are attached to the outer box base 223 by an adhesive connection. Alternatively, the first decorative member 224, the second decorative member 225, and the outer case base 223 may be bonded together by a single bonding process, thereby securing the strength of the adhesive connection between the first decorative member 224 and the second decorative member 225 and the outer case base 223. Therefore, time can be saved, and the yield can be improved.

The outer case base 223 may be provided with a collar 2234, for example, on the side facing away from the storage cavity 20, said collar 2234 extending along the edge of the main wall 221 and projecting rearwardly so as to enclose a recess for receiving the second decorative element 225.

As shown in fig. 4C, the outer case base 223 may be provided with a recess 2236 for receiving the at least one end 2241 of the flexible trim. Alternatively or additionally, the second decorative piece 225 may also be provided with a recess 2236 for receiving the at least one end 2241 of the flexible decorative piece. Thereby, the assembly can be facilitated, and the structure of the outer case 22 can be made more stable.

The second decorative piece 225 can be used to hold a flexible decorative piece as well as perform a decorative function. The second decorative element 225 can be configured, for example, as a decorative element, which forms the outer surface of the main wall 221 facing away from the storage chamber 20.

In one exemplary embodiment, the second decorative piece 225 may be configured as a thermally conductive member for transferring heat between the storage cavity 20 and the storage compartment. The second decorative piece 225 may have various functions in order to optimize the function of the inner door 2 and to make the inner door 2 have a compact structure. The second decorative piece 225 may be made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. In particular, the heat conductive member may be made of a material having a higher heat conductivity than the outer case base 223 and the inner case 21.

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates an outer box base 223 in a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 5, the outer case base 223 may be provided with at least one rib 2235 on a side of the main wall 221 facing the storage cavity 20, the at least one rib 2235 extending along an edge of the decorative area 2211. By means of the at least one rib 2235, the positioning of the flexible trim on the outer box base 223 can be facilitated, thereby reducing the difficulty of handling during installation of the flexible trim.

For example, the first and second through holes 2232 and 2233 may include holes disposed at opposite ends of the decoration region 2211 in the first direction. The at least one rib 2235 may include two ribs 2235. The two ribs 2235 may be provided at both ends of the decoration region 2211 in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, respectively, and extend at least between the first through hole 2232 and the second through hole 2233. A flexible garnish is disposed between the two ribs 2235.

In further exemplary embodiments, the first decorative piece 224 may be configured as a rigid decorative piece. The rigid trim piece may be mounted to the outer box base 223, for example, by at least one of an adhesive connection, a magnetic connection, a snap connection, a plug connection. The outer case 22 and the inner frame 21 may be assembled together after the first decorative member 224 is mounted to the outer case base 223 so as to avoid the first decorative member 224 from scratching the inner surface of the inner frame 21. In addition, the boss 2111 of the inner frame 21 can be prevented from interfering with the mounting of the first garnish 224. The rigid decorative piece may be made of metal, glass, and/or plastic, for example.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the outer case 22 may be formed of a tub-shaped outer case base 223. The outer case base 223 may be provided with a decorative layer formed by coating, punching, and/or injection molding processes, etc. at the decorative region 2211. For example, the outer case base 223 may be provided with a decorative coating or a decorative texture or the like at the decorative area 2211. In other words, the outer box 22 may not have the decorative piece disposed at the decorative area 2211 formed separately from the outer box base 223.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the inner door may include a separate ornamental piece with respect to the inner frame 21 and the outer box 22. The decor may be connected to the inner frame 21 from the rear side, for example, and be exposed to the storage cavity 20 from the inner frame opening 212 of the inner frame 21. The decorative element may also be sandwiched between the inner frame 21 and the outer box 22.

Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, even where only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. The characteristic examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, unless stated differently. In a specific implementation, the features may be combined with one another where technically feasible according to the actual requirements. In particular, features from different embodiments may also be combined with one another. Various substitutions, alterations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

1. A refrigeration appliance comprising a housing (1) having a storage compartment (10) and a door assembly for opening and closing the storage compartment (10), the door assembly comprising an inner door (2) and an outer door (3), the outer door (3) being located on a side of the inner door (2) facing away from the housing (1) in a closed state, the inner door (2) comprising an inner frame (21) and an outer box (22) for forming a storage chamber (20), the storage chamber (20) being openable and closable by the outer door (3), wherein,

The inner frame (21) has an inner side wall (211) extending around the front-rear direction and an inner frame opening (212) penetrating in the front-rear direction surrounded by the inner side wall (211); and

The outer box (22) is formed in a box shape and has a main wall (221) oriented transversely to the front-rear direction and an outer side wall (222) extending around the front-rear direction, wherein the inner frame (21) is embedded in the outer box (22) such that the outer side wall (222) is fitted over the outer side of the inner side wall (211), the inner side wall (211) borders the storage chamber (20) around the front-rear direction, and at least a part of the main wall (221) is opposed to the inner frame opening (212) and borders the storage chamber (20) in the rear direction.

2. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein,

The surface of the main wall (221) facing the storage cavity (20) is provided with a decoration area (2211), at least a part of the decoration area (2211) is exposed from the inner frame opening (212) to the storage cavity (20).

3. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 2, wherein,

The edge of the decorative area (2211) is located at least partially outside the inner frame opening (212) so as to be shielded by the inner frame (21), as viewed in the front-rear direction.

4. A refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein,

The outer case (22) includes a tub-shaped outer case base (223) and a first decorative piece (224) fixed to the outer case base (223), wherein the first decorative piece (224) covers the outer case base (223) at a decorative area (2211) to form an inner surface of the main wall (221) at the decorative area (2211).

5. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 4, wherein,

The first trim piece (224) is configured as a flexible trim piece, wherein:

The flexible trim includes at least one of: leather, cloth, flexible plastic film; and/or

The flexible decoration is adhered to the outer box base body (223); and/or

The inner side wall (211) abuts against the flexible trim.

6. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 5, wherein,

The outer box base body (223) is provided with at least one through hole (2231) extending along the edge of the decoration area (2211), wherein at least one end (2241) of the flexible decoration passes through the at least one through hole (2231), is bent back around the edge of the at least one through hole (2231) and extends to the side of the outer box base body (223) facing away from the storage cavity (20).

7. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 6, wherein,

The outer box (22) further comprises a second decoration (225) fixed to the outer box base (223), said second decoration (225) being arranged at a side of the main wall (221) of the outer box (22) facing away from the storage cavity (20), said at least one end (2241) of the flexible decoration being clamped between the second decoration (225) and the outer box base (223).

8. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7, wherein,

The second decorative piece (225) and/or the outer box base (223) is provided with a recess (2236) for receiving the at least one end (2241) of the flexible decorative piece; and/or

The second trim (225) and/or the outer box base (223) are made of a rigid material; and/or

The second decoration (225) covers the at least one end (2241) of the flexible decoration and the at least one through hole (2231) of the outer case base (223) on the side of the main wall (221) of the outer case (22) facing away from the storage chamber (20).

9. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7 or 8, wherein,

The second decorative piece (225) is configured as a decorative piece, which forms the outer surface of the main wall (221) facing away from the storage chamber (20); and/or

A second trim (225) is bonded to the outer box base (223); and/or

The second trim piece (225) is configured as a thermally conductive member for transferring heat between the storage cavity (20) and the storage compartment.

10. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein,

The flexible trim has a warp direction and a weft direction transverse to the warp direction, wherein the flexible trim has a different elasticity in the warp direction than in the weft direction, the at least one end (2241) of the flexible trim comprising two ends (2241) on one of the flexible trim that is more elastic in the warp and weft directions; and/or

The at least one end (2241) includes a first end (2242) of the flexible garnish in a first direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and a second end (2243) opposite to the first end (2242), the at least one through hole (2231) includes a first through hole (2232) and a second through hole (2233) respectively located at opposite ends of the garnish area (2211), the first through hole (2232) and the second through hole (2233) extend in a second direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the first direction, and the first end (2242) and the second end (2243) pass through the first through hole (2232) and the second through hole (2233), respectively.

11. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 4, wherein,

The first decorative piece (224) is configured as a rigid decorative piece, which is mounted to the outer case base (223) by at least one of an adhesive connection, a magnetic connection, a snap connection, a plug connection; and/or

The outer box base (223) is formed as a single integral component; and/or

The inner frame (21) is formed as a single integral part.

12. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein,

The inner side wall (211) of the inner frame (21) is provided with a protrusion (2111) protruding inwards from the inner side of the inner side wall (211) such that the storage box (4) can be positioned in the storage cavity (20) by means of the protrusion (2111), wherein the protrusion (2111) is at least partially projected on the decoration area (2211) in the front-rear direction.

13. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein,

The inner door (2) comprises a door base (23), the door base (23) is provided with an opening (231) penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the inner frame (21) and the outer box (22) are mounted to the door base (23) at the opening (231), wherein:

The inner side wall (211) is provided with at least one mounting lug (2112) protruding outwards from the outer side of the inner side wall (211), the mounting lug (2112) being fixed to the door base (23) from the rear side of the door base (23) such that the inner frame (21) can be mounted to the door base (23) in a backward-forward direction; and/or

The outer box (22) is configured to be capable of being sleeved on the inner frame (21) in a back-to-front direction and mounted to the inner frame (21) and the door base (23); and/or

The outer box (22) is suspended on the door base (23) and fixed to the inner frame (21).

14. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein,

The door base (23) is provided with a door bank (232) which is located at the rear side of the door base (23) and protrudes rearward, wherein:

The outer side wall (222) is provided with a hanging portion (2221) protruding forward from the front end of the outer side wall (222) so that the outer case (22) can be hung on the door dike (232) through the hanging portion (2221); and/or

The inner frame (21) comprises a supporting frame (213) positioned below the inner side wall (211), and the inner frame (21) is supported on the door dike (232) through the supporting frame (213).

15. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 13 or 14, wherein,

The front end of the inner side wall (211) is embedded into the opening (231) of the door base body (23), the bottom of the front end of the inner side wall (211) is supported on the opening side wall (233) of the door base body (23) surrounding the opening (231), and the rear end of the inner side wall (211) is suspended outside the opening backwards;

The support bracket (213) includes a first support portion (2131) extending downward from a bottom side of the inner side wall (211), the first support portion (2131) being supported on the door dike (232) and bearing forward against a rear side of the door base (23), and a second support portion (2132) extending rearward from the first support portion (2131), the second support portion (2132) supporting a portion of the inner side wall (211) overhanging rearward beyond the opening.