DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, according to the preamble of claim 1.

The invention is particularly applicable to the field of refrigerating appliances, in particular for household use, comprising at least one insulating panel.

As is known in the art, refrigerating appliances comprise:

- a cabinet that comprises at least one wall comprising an outer panel and an inner back-panel;

- at least one door associated with said at least one wall, for closing at least one refrigeration compartment.

It is also known in the art that the cabinet of a refrigerating appliance comprises a pair of opposite side walls as well as a back wall, a top wall and a bottom wall.

Refrigerating appliances of types known in the art typically comprise two refrigeration compartments kept at different temperatures, thus providing at least two different food preservation states, in particular a refrigerator compartment suitable for preserving fresh foods at a temperature between 0°C and 10°C and a freezer compartment suitable for preserving frozen foods at a temperature between -15°C and -30°C; such refrigerating appliances are commonly referred to by those skilled in the art of household refrigeration as "double-door" or "combined" refrigerators, depending on the relative position of the two compartments. In a "double-door" refrigerating appliance, the freezer compartment is above the refrigerator compartment, whereas in a "combined" refrigeration appliance the freezer compartment is located at the bottom.

As a consequence, the refrigerating appliances known in the art comprise a first and a second doors, each door being adapted to close one of said refrigeration compartments; also, each door is connected to the cabinet by means of one of more hinges that allow for constrained outward rotation of the door for opening the same.

In known refrigerating appliances, it may happen that humid air can enter the refrigeration compartment, e.g. every time the door is opened; as it cools down, said air reduces its volume, and the moisture contained therein condenses until it forms ice that may prevent opening the door, especially if the refrigeration compartment is a freezer compartment.

To overcome this problem, the cabinets of the refrigerating appliances known in the art comprise a heating element that prevents formation of condensate and ice, resulting in the door being easier to open.

In some known types of refrigerating appliances, said heating element is substantially buried in an insulating material associated with the inner volume of the side wall of the cabinet or of at least one door. However, such a solution is not suitable for the cases wherein the side wall of the cabinet or the door are so realized that a vacuum condition is created in the respective inner volume. In such cases, it would be extremely complex to position and connect the heating element, since this connection would have to be made through the wall without however compromising its vacuum sealing.

In other known types of refrigerating appliances, the heating element is fixed to the outer surface of the side wall by means of an adhesive material or a bi-adhesive element. In addition, the heating element is usually covered by a hollow trim that protects the heating element while at the same time improving the aesthetic appearance of this solution, said hollow trim being in turn secured to the outer portion of the side wall by means of an adhesive material or suitable clips fastened to said outer surface of the side wall.

However, this solution suffers from a few drawbacks as well, in that the fastening of the heating element and the trim by means of adhesive material or a bi-adhesive element is not very accurate, stable and durable; furthermore, fastening the trim by means of clips will inevitably damage the side wall of the cabinet of the refrigerating appliance, or may even jeopardize the sealing of said cabinet, inevitably impairing the insulation capability of the refrigerating appliance.

In this frame, it is the main object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, which is adapted to overcome the above-described drawbacks.

In particular, it is one object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance comprising a heating element that prevents the formation of condensate and ice, and a trim adapted to house said heating element, said refrigerating appliance being so realized as to ensure that the heating element and the trim will be coupled in an accurate, stable and durable manner to the outer surface of the cabinet of said refrigerating appliance.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, wherein the heating element and/ or the trim are fastened in such a way as to avoid damaging the side wall of the cabinet of the refrigerating appliance and compromising the sealing of said cabinet, which would otherwise result in reduced insulation of the refrigerating appliance.

Consequently, it is one object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, which is particularly suited for ensuring constant thermal insulation over time, and which is so realized as to ensure an adequate functionality of the whole appliance.

Said objects are achieved by the present invention through a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, incorporating the features set out in the appended claims, which are intended to be an integral part of the present description.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and from the annexed drawings, which are supplied by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerating appliance according to the present invention;

- Fig. 2a is a perspective view of a component of the refrigerating appliance of Fig. 1, and Fig. 2b is a perspective view of a detail of the component of Fig. 2a;

- Figs. 3a and 3b are side views of the detail of Fig. 2a, respectively in a first and a second operating conditions.

Referring now to the annexed Figures 1 to 2b, reference numeral 1 designates as a whole a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, according to the present invention.

Said refrigerating appliance 1 comprises:

- a cabinet 10 that comprises at least one wall 11, 12 comprising an outer panel 10E and an inner back-panel 101;

- at least one door 20A, 20B associated with said at least one wall 11, 12, for closing at least one refrigeration compartment 21, 22.

As can be seen in Fig. 1, said at least one wall 11, 12 comprises a first side wall 11 and a second side wall 12. In addition, the cabinet 10 preferably comprises a back wall 13, a top wall 14 and a bottom wall 15.

It should be noted that said first side wall 11, second side wall 12, back wall 13, top wall 14 and bottom wall 15 may also be so realized as to not show any evident separations; for example, said walls 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 may be so realized as to comprise a profile that joins the points of contact of said walls 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

Furthermore, said at least one refrigeration compartment 21, 22 may comprise a refrigerator compartment 21 for preserving fresh foods (which is typically kept at a temperature of 0°C to 10°C) and a freezer compartment 22 for preserving frozen foods (which is usually kept at a temperature of -15°C to -30°C); in this case, the cabinet 10 preferably also comprises an intermediate wall 16 located between the refrigerator compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22. It is however clear that the refrigerating appliance 1 may be so realized as to comprise just one compartment 21, 22 or a larger number of internal compartments 21, 22, in particular having different temperatures, thus allowing foods to be kept in different preservation states.

The refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention preferably comprises a first door 20A and a second door 20B for closing the refrigerator compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22, respectively; moreover, each door 20A, 20B is connected to the cabinet 10 by means of one or more hinges (not shown) that allow for constrained outward rotation of the door 20 A, 20B for opening the same (as shown in Fig. 1).

The refrigerating appliance 1 represented in the annexed drawings also shows some elements (see Fig. 1) commonly included in a refrigerating appliance 1, such as, for example, a plurality of shelves 2 and a plurality of containers 3 arranged at different levels in said refrigerator compartment 21, and a plurality of drawers 4 and/ or a plurality of shelves that can be closed by means of a hinged front panel, which can be rotated to allow access to the shelf, arranged at different levels in said freezer compartment 22. Besides, Figure 1 also shows door storage compartments 5 associated with said first door 21P of the refrigerator compartment 21, said door storage compartments 5 being adapted to receive containers, bottles and foodstuffs.

In addition, in the representation of the refrigerating appliance 1 shown in Fig. 1 the refrigerator compartment 21 is located above the freezer compartment 22; consequently, the refrigerating appliance 1 shown in Fig. 1 is of the "combined" type; it is however clear that, in accordance with the present invention, the relative positions of the two compartments 21, 22 may be different, e.g. the refrigerating appliance 1 may also be of the "double- door" type.

The cabinet 10 of the refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention further comprises at least one heating element 30 (particularly visible in Fig. 2b) positioned in proximity to the region where said at least one wall 11, 12 and said at least one door 20A, 20B are associated with each other, said heating element 30 being adapted to prevent the formation of condensate and ice, in particular for the purpose of making said at least one door 20A, 20B easier to open, and being associated with a trim 40 that protects the heating element 30.

In accordance with the present invention, the outer panel 10E and the trim 40 comprise fastening means 10S, 41 allowing said outer panel 10E and the trim 40 to be slidably joined together.

Figures 3a and 3b show a side view of the trim 40, respectively in a first operating condition (i.e. a condition wherein said trim 40 is separate from said outer panel 10E; see Fig. 3a) and in a second operating condition (i.e. a condition wherein the trim 40 is associated with the outer panel 10E; see Fig. 3b).

In particular, in said Figures 3a and 3b one can see that said fastening means 10S, 41 for providing a slidable coupling comprise:

- a slotted portion 10S on said outer panel 10E;

- an appendix 41 on said trim 40, said appendix 41 having a shape that is substantially complementary to that of the slotted portion 10S.

In a preferred embodiment, said slotted portion 10S and said appendix 41 are so realized as to substantially have an "L" or "C" shape when viewed sideways (i.e. in a view like the one shown in Figures 3a and 3b). It must be pointed out that said substantially "L" or "C" shape of said slotted portion 10S and said appendix 41 can also be appreciated in a cross-sectional view of the trim 40, i.e. a section of the trim 40 that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal development of said trim 40.

Preferably, said slotted portion 10S is obtained while pressing said outer panel 10E; moreover, said outer panel 10E is so realized as to include a tooth 10D that extends from the outer panel 10E in such a way as to define the slotted portion 10S.

The particular provision of the fastening means 10S, 41 according to the present invention allows providing a refrigerating appliance 1 which is so realized as to ensure an accurate, stable and durable coupling between the trim 40 (and hence the heating element 30 associated with the trim 40) and the outer panel 10E of the cabinet 10 of said refrigerating appliance 1.

In fact, said coupling must necessarily be accomplished by inserting an initial tract of the appendix 41 of said trim 40 into an initial tract of the slotted portion 10S between the tooth 10D and the rest of the outer panel 10E, and by subsequently sliding the trim 40 so as to insert the appendix 41, substantially throughout its length, into the slotted portion 10S, thus providing a slidable fitting that allows the whole appendix 41 to be accurately and firmly secured within the slotted portion 10S.

As a result, the insertion of the whole appendix 41 into the slotted portion 10S by means of said slidable fitting will cause the trim 40 to be fixed to the outer panel 10E of the cabinet 10.

Moreover, due to the fact that the slotted portion 10S is made while pressing said outer panel 10E, the provisions of the fastening means 10S, 41 according to the present invention allow providing a refrigerating appliance 1 which is so realized as to avoid damaging said at least one wall 11, 12 of the cabinet 10 while fastening the heating element 30, or impairing the sealing of said cabinet 10, which would inevitably cause a reduction in the insulation capability of the refrigerating appliance 1. In fact, due to such a provision it is possible to avoid using fastening means for positioning the heating element 30 and the trim 40 on said at least one wall 11, 12, since said fastening means might cause damage to the wall 11, 12 of the cabinet 10. According to the present invention, the refrigerating appliance 1 may also comprise a glue, in particular a slow-reaction one (such as, for example, a silicone-based or polyurethane-based glue), interposed between the trim 40 and the outer panel 10E; said glue can further improve the fixing of said trim 40 accomplished through the fastening means 10S, 41.

In a preferred embodiment, the trim 40 according to the present invention comprises a substantially tubular body 42, internally hollow, that is adapted to receive said heating element 30 (as is particularly visible in Figures 2b and 3b), said appendix 41 being so realized as to extend from said body 42, in particular so as to substantially create a "C" shape with the lower portion of said body 42 (in this regard, see in particular Fig. 3a).

In accordance with the present invention, said body 42 has internal dimensions that are slightly greater than those of the heating element 30, so as to allow said heating element 30 to slide easily within the body 42 during the coupling operation; at the same time, the internal dimensions of said body 42 are such as to prevent any lateral movements of the heating element 30 within the body 42, in particular for the purpose of avoiding damage to said heating element 30.

As can be seen in Figures 2a to 3b, the body 42 has a cross-section (i.e. a section substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal development of the trim 40) having a substantially rectangular or square shape, with right or slightly rounded angles.

Furthermore, the trim 40 according to the present invention is preferably made of metallic material, so that it can be adequately coupled to at least one magnetic element (not shown in the drawings) provided on said at least one door 20A, 20B.

The trim 40 according to the present invention may also comprise a plug (not shown), in particular made of plastic material, for closing the body 42; preferably, said plug is so realized as to comprise an aperture (also not shown) for allowing the passage of the heating element 30 and for binding the position of said heating element 30 at least in the section where it exits the body 42 of the trim 40.

Preferably, said wall 11, 12 is provided in the form of a vacuum panel, also known as V.I.P. (Vacuum Insulation Panel), in particular said inner back-panel 101 being coupled to the outer panel 10E so as to create a wall 11, 12 in the form of a hermetic housing that encloses and seals a foam (typically made of silicic acid) with essentially no air and/ or a "getter" of insulating material, e.g. an aerogel or a silicon gel or foam polyurethane. Preferably, said vacuum insulation wall 11, 12 is so realized as to have an internal pressure of approx. 5mbar.

Consequently, the particular provision of the fastening means 10S, 41 according to the present invention becomes even more advantageous, in that it allows the heating element 30 to be adequately associated with the cabinet 10 while at the same time avoiding any damage to the wall 11, 12, which is provided in the form of a vacuum panel.

Furthermore, such provisions do not require any connections of the heating element 30 that would be hardly feasible in the inner portion of the wall 11, 12 because of the particular implementation of the wall 11, 12 as a vacuum panel.

In a preferred embodiment, said at least one heating element 30 extends within the trim 40 for a length that substantially corresponds to the dimensions of a second door 20B for closing a freezer compartment 22. It is however clear that said heating element 30 may also extend for a length substantially corresponding to the dimensions of said at least one wall 11, 12. Preferably, said at least one heating element 30 consists of an electric resistor, which is connected in a known manner to the electric circuit of the refrigerating appliance 1.

The features and advantages of the refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, according to the present invention are apparent from the above description.

In particular, it is clear that the particular provisions of the refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention, in particular of the fastening means 10S, 41, allow providing a refrigerating appliance 1 which is so realized as to ensure that the trim 40 (and hence the heating element 30) will be accurately, stably and durably coupled to the outer panel 10E of the cabinet 10 of said refrigerating appliance 1.

Furthermore, due to the fact that the slotted portion 10S is made while pressing said outer panel 10E, the provisions of the fastening means 10S, 41 according to the present invention allow providing a refrigerating appliance 1 which is so realized as to prevent said at least one wall 11, 12 of the cabinet 10 from suffering any damage when fastening the heating element 30, while also not impairing the sealing of said cabinet 10, which would inevitably reduce the insulating capability of the refrigerating appliance 1.

The special provision of the fastening means 10S, 41 according to the present invention becomes even more advantageous whenever the wall 11, 12 is provided in the form of a vacuum panel, also known as V.I.P. (Vacuum Insulation Panel), in that the particular provision of the fastening means 10S, 41 allows the heating element 30 to be adequately associated with the cabinet 10, while at the same time preventing the wall 11, 12, provided in the form of a vacuum panel, from suffering any damage. Also, such provisions avoid the use of connections of the heating element 30 that would be hardly feasible because of the peculiar implementation of the wall 11, 12, provided in the form of a vacuum panel.

It is however clear that many changes may be made to the refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, according to the present invention, and that in its practical implementation the various components may have different shapes and arrangements or be replaced with other technically equivalent elements without departing from the novelty spirit of the inventive idea.

In particular, the present description has illustrated in detail a refrigerating appliance which is particularly suitable for use in a household environment; however, the present invention is also conveniently applicable to refrigerating appliances for the nautical or hotel industry.

It can therefore be easily understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described refrigerating appliance, but may be subject to many modifications, improvements or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without departing from the inventive idea, as clearly specified in the following claims.