BÖCKLER, Marco (Kleiststrasse 3, Rothenburg o.d. Tauber, 91541, DE)
| A casing for a domestic appliance, in particular for a cooking oven, comprising: -a bottom part (40), -two side walls (20) , -a rear part ( 30 ) , -a top part (2 ) , -wherein at least two of these parts (2, 20, 30, 40) of the casing which are adjacent to each other and are formed from sheet metal or as metal sheets are connected or connectable together along their common adjacent edges, characterized in, that at least one (40) of said two adjacent parts (20, 40) of th casing comprises a plug-in tab (46) and at least one other (20) of said two adjacent parts (20, 40) of the casing comprises an opening (29C) , wherein the plug-in tab (46) is inserted in or insertable into the opening (29C) in order t pre-fix said two adjacent parts (20, 40) of the casing. The casing according to claim 1, characterized in, that the plug-in tab (46) is formed as a bent sheet. The casing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in, that the plug-in tab (46) is an appendix of a foldback (42) of said one of the two adjacent parts (20, 40) of the casing. The casing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the opening (29C) is formed as a slot. The casing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the opening (29C) is formed in a foldback (29) of said othe of the two adjacent parts (20) of the casing. The casing according to any one of the claims 3 to 5, characterized in, that the plug-in tab (46) is formed as an end part of the foldback (42) of said one of the two adjacent parts (20, 40) of the casing . The casing according to any one of the claims 3 to 6, characterized in, that the foldback (42) includes two plug-in tabs (46) , wherein each plug-in tab (46) is arranged at one of the two end parts of the foldback (42) . The casing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the plug-in tabs (46) and the corresponding foldback (42) form a right angle. The casing according to any one of the claims 3 to 8, characterized in, that the foldback (42) and the corresponding part (40) form a right angle. A method for assembling a casing for a domestic appliance comprising the following steps: -providing a bottom part (40), -providing two side walls (20) , -providing a rear part (30), -providing a top part (2), -composing at least two of these parts (2, 20, 30, 40) of the casing which are formed from sheet metal or as metal sheets along their common adjacent edges, and -pre-fixing said at least two adjacent parts (2, 20, 30, 40) of the casing, characterized in, that at least one (40) of said two adjacent parts (20, 40) of the casing comprises a plug-in tab (46) and at least one other (20) of said two adjacent parts (20, 40) of the casing comprises an opening (29C) , wherein the pre-fixing of the at least two adjacent parts (2, 20, 30, 40) of the casing is performed by inserting the plug-in tab (46) into the openi (29C) . The method according to claim 10, characterized in, that the at least two adjacent parts (20, 40) of the casing a finally fixed by at least one screw (47) . The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in, that the method is provided for assembling a casing according any one of the claims 1 to 9. |
A casing for a domestic appliance and a method for assembling a casing
The present invention relates to a casing for a domestic
appliance according to the preamble of claim 1. Further, the present invention relates to a method for assembling a casing for a domestic appliance according to the preamble of claim 10.
The casing for a domestic appliance, in particular for an oven cavity of a cooking oven, is usually made of metal sheets. For example, the casing or a part of the casing is folded of a metal sheet provided as a single-piece part. Further, rectangular metal sheets may be provided for the side walls, the rear wall, the bottom part and the top part of the casing. However, it is laborious to put together said metal sheets exactly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a casing for a domestic appliance and a method for assembling said casing, wherein the casing can be efficiently assembled.
The object of the present invention is achieved by the casing according to claim 1.
According to the present invention at least one of said two adjacent parts of the casing comprises a plug-in tab and at least one other of said two adjacent parts of the casing
comprises an opening, wherein the plug-in tab is inserted in or insertable into the opening in order to pre-fix said two
adjacent parts of the casing.
The core of the present invention is the plug-in tab in the one part and the corresponding opening in the adjacent part, so that the adjacent parts of the casing can be pre-fixed by inserting the plug-in tab into the opening. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the plug-in tab is formed as a bent sheet. Thus, the plug-in tab may be integrated at or in the corresponding part of the casing. In particular, the plug-in tab may be an appendix of a foldback of said one of the two adjacent parts of the casing. The
foldback may contain screws holes for the final fixation.
Preferably, the opening is formed as a slot. The slot and the plug-in tab formed as the bent sheet are substantially
complementary. The slot can be easily punched out, for example.
In particular, the opening is formed in a foldback of said other of the two adjacent parts of the casing.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention the plug-in tab is formed as an end part of the foldback of said one of the two adjacent parts of the casing. For example, the foldback includes two plug-in tabs, wherein each plug-in tab is arranged at one of the two end parts of the foldback.
Further, the plug-in tab and the corresponding foldback form a right angle. In a similar way, the foldback and the
corresponding part form a right angle. This structure is
particularly advantageous for a casing with right angles.
The object of the present invention is achieved by the method for assembling a casing according to claim 10.
According to the present invention at least one of said two adjacent parts of the casing comprises a plug-in tab and at least one other of said two adjacent parts of the casing
comprises an opening, wherein the pre-fixing of the at least two adjacent parts of the casing is performed by inserting the plug- in tab into the opening. Preferably, the at least two adjacent parts of the casing are finally fixed by at least one screw.
In particular, the method may be provided for the casing as described above.
Novel and inventive features of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanied drawings, in which
FIG 1 illustrates a perspective view at a right lower rear
corner of a casing for an oven cavity of a cooking oven according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG 2 illustrates a perspective view at a left upper rear
corner of the casing for the oven cavity of the cooking oven according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention .
FIG 1 illustrates a perspective view at a right lower rear corner of a casing for an oven cavity of a cooking oven
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG 1 illustrates the perspective view from a lower position. The expressions "left" and "right" relate to a view from
positions in front of the casing. FIG 1 shows a right side wall 20, a rear wall 30 and a bottom part 40 of the casing. The right side wall 20, the rear wall 30 and the bottom part 40 are formed as substantially rectangular metal sheets or from sheet metal (material) . The bottom part 40 comprises a lateral foldback 41 at the right hand side of the bottom part 40. In a similar way, the bottom part 40 comprises a further lateral foldback at the left hand side of the bottom part 40, which is not shown in FIG 1. Said lateral foldbacks 41 are bent upwards. The large-area section of the bottom part 40 and the lateral foldbacks 41 form a right angle in each case. Thus, the lateral foldback 41 extends into the same direction as the large-area sections of the right side walls 20. A lower portion of the outer surfaces of the side walls 20 lies against the inner surface of the lateral foldback 41 of the bottom part 40.
The side wall 20 comprises also a lateral foldback at its bottom side, which is covered by the bottom part 40 and its foldback 41 in FIG 1. The lateral foldback of the side walls 20 are bent inwardly. Thus, the lateral foldback 41 of the side wall 20 extends within the same plane as the main section of the bottom part 40.
Further, the bottom part 40 comprises embossings 48A in its lateral portions. The embossings 48A are formed and arranged in such a way that the foldback 41 of the side wall 20 is clamped between said embossings 48A on the one hand and the foldbacks 41 of the bottom part 40 on the other hand. In this example, the bottom part 40 comprises two embossings 48A on the right hand side, wherein one of them is shown in FIG 1.
The foldbacks 41 of the side wall 20 and the bottom part 40 as well as the embossings 48A allow that the side wall 20 and the bottom part 40 can be stably stuck together during assembling the casing, before the side wall 20 will be finally fixed at the bottom part 40. At last, the side wall 20 and the bottom part 40 will be interconnected by suitable fixing elements, e.g. by screws. Said fixings elements may be attached at the foldbacks 41 of the side wall 20 and/or the bottom part 40.
The bottom part 40 comprises basic embossings 45 in the left and right portions of its large-area section. The two basic
embossings 45 are elongated and extend parallel to the lower edge of the corresponding side walls 20 in each case. The basic embossings 45 reinforce the bottom part 40. Further, the bottom part 40 comprises a rear foldback 42 on its rear side. The rear foldback 42 includes a horizontal section and a vertical section. The rear side of the large-area section of the bottom part 40 is set forth by the horizontal section of the rear foldback 42. Then, the horizontal section of the rear foldback 42 is set forth by the vertical section of the rear foldback 42. The horizontal section of the rear foldback 42 is marginally inclined downwardly along the direction from the front to the side of the casing. The vertical section of the rear foldback 42 and the large-area section of the bottom part 40 form a right angle.
Reinforcing embossings 48 are provided between the horizontal section and the vertical section of the rear foldback 42. The reinforcing embossings 48 stabilize the angle between the horizontal section and the vertical section of the rear foldback 42.
In the corner of the casing, the bottom part 40 comprises a plug-in tab 46. The plug-in tab 46 extends from the lateral end portion of the vertical section of the rear foldback 42 into the direction of the front side of the casing. The plug-in tab 46 is a small sheet extending vertically. The vertical section of the rear foldback 42 is set forth at its side by the plug-in tab 46.
The plug-in tab 46 is inserted in an opening 29C of the side wall 20. Said opening 29C is formed in a vertical foldback 29 of the side wall 20. The vertical foldback 29 extend along the rear edge of the side wall 20. The opening 29C is formed as a
vertical slot and arranged in a lower portion of the vertical foldback 29. The vertical foldback 29 and the main section of the side wall 20 form a right angle.
During assembling the casing the plug-in tab 46 is inserted into the opening 29C, so that the side wall 20 is pre-assembled at the bottom part 40, before the side wall 20 will be finally fixed at the bottom part 40. In the lower rear corner the final fixation of the side wall 20 at the lateral foldback 41 of the bottom part is performed by a screw 47.
FIG 2 illustrates a perspective view at a left upper rear corner of the casing for the oven cavity of the cooking oven according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG 2 shows a left side wall 20, the rear wall 30 and a component carrier 2. The component carrier 2 forms an intermediate wall in the upper portion of the casing. The component carrier 2 extends
horizontally. In this example, the component carrier 2 includes longitudinal embossings 11 and 12. The longitudinal embossings 11 and 12 are provided for acting against lateral forces. The component carrier 2 comprises a lateral foldback 300.
The side wall 20 comprises an upper lateral foldback, which is covered by the component carrier 2 and the lateral foldback 300 of the component carrier 2. The upper lateral foldback of the side wall 20 is arranged in a right angle in relation to the large-area section of the side wall 20.
The rear wall 30 comprises a bearing embossing 31 in its upper portion near the upper rear corner of the casing. The bearing embossing 31 is directed into the front of the casing. The bearing embossing 31 acts as a stopper for the vertical foldback 29 of the side wall 20 during assembling the side wall 20 and the rear wall 30. An inner edge of the vertical foldback 29 of the side wall 20 lies against the bearing embossing 31.
The present invention uses the interaction of the plug-in tabs 26 and the corresponding openings 29C. Additionally the
interactions of the adjacent foldbacks are also used. The plug- in tabs 26 and the corresponding openings 29C allow a stable and exact pre-fixing of the adjacent parts before said adjacent parts will be finally fixed by suitable fixing elements. Although an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been described herein with reference to the accompanying
drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
List of reference numerals
2 component carrier
11 longitudinal embossing
12 longitudinal embossing
20 side wall
29 vertical foldback
29C opening
30 rear wall
31 bearing embossing
40 bottom part
41 lateral foldback
42 rear foldback
45 basic embossing
46 plug-in tab
47 screw
48 reinforcing embossing
48A embossing