APPLIANCE

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The invention relates to a door applied to a household appliance and a household appliance, for example, a refrigeration appliance.

Related Art

CN101726143B discloses a door applied to a refrigeration appliance. The door includes a door body and a front panel connected to the door body. The door body has a pair of front and rear walls with a gap and the gap is filled with a heat insulation material. The front panel is adhered to a front side of the door body by using a bonding apparatus to decorate the door body. When identifiers such as patterns and characters cannot be set on the front panel for the material reason, the design of the door is greatly limited.

SUMMARY

One objective of invention is to provide an improved door applied to a household appliance and a household appliance.

Another objective of invention is to provide a door applied to a household appliance and having greater design freedom and a household appliance.

One embodiment of the invention relates to a door applied to a household appliance, including a door body, a main decoration panel fixed at the door body to cover a body part of a front surface of the door body, and a strip-shaped decoration panel fixed adjacently to the main decoration panel at the door body to cover an edge area of the front surface of the door body, where the main decoration panel and the strip-shaped decoration panel are made of different materials. A decoration panel that covers the front surface of the door body is categorized to at least the main decoration panel, and the strip-shaped decoration panel disposed at the edge area, so that the material of the main decoration panel may be selected from a wider range. For example, even if the main decoration panel is made of a material that is not easy to form an identification layer including patterns/characters, the strip-shaped decoration panel may be made of a material that is easy to set the identification layer by conventional process. For a household appliance manufacturer, it is possible to provide different types or a same type of household appliances with different materials but a uniform style, and it is possible to enriching a product line with a uniform style.

In a possible embodiment, the main decoration panel and the strip-shaped decoration panel are respectively adhered to the door body.

In a possible embodiment, the door includes a bonding tape extends from the edge area to a main part, where the main decoration panel and the strip-shaped decoration panel are respectively bonded to different parts of the bonding tape. Therefore, the main decoration panel and the strip-shaped decoration panel can be assembled more smoothly in the door body.

In a possible embodiment, the main decoration panel extends from a second edge area that is of the door body and that is opposite the edge area to one side of the strip-shaped decoration panel.

In a possible embodiment, the strip-shaped decoration panel includes a first side portion close to the main decoration panel (2) and a second side portion away from the strip- shaped decoration panel, the front surface of the door body includes a first area corresponding to the first side portion and a second area corresponding to the second side portion, and a height difference exists between the first area and the second area in a thickness direction of the door, the door includes a hard compensating plate, and the compensating plate extends from a back side of the first side portion.

In a possible embodiment, the compensating plate is located between the bonding tape for bonding the strip-shaped decoration panel and the strip-shaped decoration panel. In a possible embodiment, the first area and the second area are on a same metal door panel.

In a possible embodiment, the compensating plate is a metal plate.

In a possible embodiment, a length of the compensating plate is less than the strip- shaped decoration panel, and a gap exist between one of two ends of the compensating plate and a corresponding end of the strip-shaped decoration panel.

In a possible embodiment, a compensating portion protruding rearward is integrally formed on the strip-shaped decoration panel at a rear side of the first side portion close to the main decoration panel.

In a possible embodiment, the main decoration panel is made of glass or ceramic, and the strip-shaped decoration panel is made of metal or plastic.

In a possible embodiment, the main decoration panel is made of ceramic, and includes a protective layer attached to a rear side of the main decoration panel. The protective layer may be a fibrous network structure.

In a possible embodiment, a height difference exists between a front surface of the strip- shaped decoration panel and a front surface of the main decoration panel in a thickness direction of the door.

In a possible embodiment, a front surface of the strip-shaped decoration panel is flush with a front surface of the main decoration panel.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a household appliance, including the door described according to any one of the embodiments.

The embodiments of the invention can be applied to a household appliance having a door, such as a refrigeration appliance, a dishwasher, a disinfection cabinet, an oven, and a steam box. The construction of the invention and other objectives and advantages thereof will be more apparent and understandable from the description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As a part of this specification for providing a further understanding of the invention, the following accompanying drawings illustrates specific implementations of the invention, and describes the principle of the invention together with this specification

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a door applied to a household appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of a door applied to a household appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial sectional view taken along A-A in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a door 100 applied to a household appliance according to an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the door 100 may be a door of a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance may have one or more storage compartments, and the door 100 is used to close the one or more storage compartments or close a corresponding part of one or more storage compartments.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the door 100 includes a door body 1 , a main decoration panel 2 fixed at a front side of the door body 1 to cover a main part of the door body 1 , and a strip-shaped decoration panel 4 fixed adjacently to the main decoration panel at the door body 1 to cover an edge area 3 of the front surface of the door body 1.

The door body 1 may include a front door panel 1 1 located at the front surface of the door body 1 and a side cover 14 connected to one side of the front door panel 1 1. One side of the door body 1 may be provided with a handle groove 12 and a user interface apparatus 13. The handle groove 12 and the user interface apparatus 13 may be formed by the side cover 14, and the side cover 14 may be formed by one or more components.

The front surface of the door 100 is formed by the main decoration panel 2 and the strip- shaped decoration panel 4, which may be made of different materials. The strip-shaped decoration panel 4 and the main decoration panel 2 are assembled on the door body 1 as components independent of the door body 1.

The main decoration panel 2 covers most of the front surface of the door body 1. The covering most of the front surface of the door body 1 in the invention means that the main decoration panel covers at least 60% of the front surface of the door body 1.

A width of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may be less than 10 centimeters. In an embodiment, the width of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 is less than 6 centimeters, and the width of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 is preferably not less than 1 centimeter.

The main decoration panel 2 may be made of ceramic. The strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may be made of a metal martial. A front side of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may be provided with an identification layer with patterns and characters (not shown), so that a material such as ceramic on which identifiers such as patterns and/characters are not easy to be set on the front surface may be selected as the main decoration panel of the household appliance, and the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 on which identifiers such as patterns and/characters are easy to be set may be selected, where these denotes/display identifiers are set thereon.

A height difference T may exist between a front surface of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 and a front surface of the main decoration panel 2 in a thickness direction of the door 100 (or a front and rear diction of the door). As shown in FIG. 3, the front surface of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 protrudes from the front surface of the main decoration panel 2.

In an alternative embodiment, the front surface of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may be substantially flush with the front surface of the main decoration panel 2. The strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may extend along at least most of the width of the edge area 3, and in particular the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may extend along the overall width or the overall height of the door body 1.

The main decoration panel 2 may extend from a second edge area 7 that is of the door body and that is opposite to the edge area 3 to one side of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4.

The edge area 3 may be located along a lower portion of the door body 1. The strip- shaped decoration panel 4 is located below the main decoration panel 2. In an alternative embodiment, the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may be located above the main decoration panel 2. In another embodiment, the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may be located at the left side or the right side of the main decoration panel 2.

The main decoration panel 2 and the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 may be respectively adhered to the door body 1. The door 100 includes a bonding apparatus 5 bonded to the front surface of the door body 1. The bonding apparatus 5 may include a bonding frame disposed around the front surface of the door body 1.

The bonding apparatus 5 includes a bonding tape 51 extending from the edge area 3 to the main part 6 covered by the main decoration panel 2. The bonding tape 51 may have a width greater than those of other parts of the bonding frame. The main decoration panel 2 and the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 are respectively bonded to different parts of the bonding tape 51.

In the door body 1 , a heat insulation material formed by foaming is disposed. During the foaming process of the door body 1 , a foaming agent is injected into the door body 1 to form a heat insulation material in the door body 1. To avoid that a center area of the front door panel 1 1 of the door body 1 protrudes forward to be higher than the edge area of the door body 1 that is used to connect the main decoration panel, during the foaming procedure of the door body 1 , a mold may be used to press the center area of the front door panel 1 1 to ensure that the center area of the front door panel 1 1 is slightly depressed rearward relative to the edge area of the front door panel 1 1 , and the main decoration panel 2 can be bonded to the door body 1. As shown in FIG. 3, in a thickness direction of the door 100, the edge area 3 for connecting the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 is more protruded on one side of the outer circumference of the door body 1 than the other side close to the main decoration panel 2, so that the height difference exits along the thickness direction of the door 100. The strip- shaped decoration panel 4 includes a first side portion 41 close to the main decoration panel 2 and a second side portion 42 away from the main decoration panel 2. The front surface of the door body 1 includes a first area 31 facing the first side portion 41 and a second area 32 facing the second side portion 42, and a height difference exists between the first area 31 and the second area 32 in the thickness direction of the door. The door 1 includes a hard compensating plate 8, and the compensating plate 8 is located between the first area 31 and the first side portion 41. In this embodiment, the first area 31 and the second area 32 are formed by the front door panel 1 made of metal.

Therefore, the height difference of two ends of the edge area 3 can be compensated by using the hard compensating plate 8. In this way, in one aspect, it can be ensured that the main decoration panel 2 may be reliably bonded to the door body 1. In another aspect, by employing the compensating plate 8, it is possible to avoid technical defects that a gap between the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 and the door body 1 is different in size, and a position of the front surface of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 is not easy to control.

Because the compensating plate 8 is hard and is not easy to deform in the thickness direction of the door, when the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 is pressed on the door body 1 , the compensating plate 8 is not easy to experience an elastic deformation in the thickness direction of the door, it is conductive to ensuring a mounting position of the strip- shaped decoration panel 4 relative to the door body 1 and the main decoration panel 2. For example, a defect that the edge of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 tilts after pressing may be avoided. The compensating plate 8 may be made of a metal plate.

The compensating plate 8 may disposed between the bonding tape 51 and the strip- shaped decoration panel 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, a length of the compensating plate 8 may be less than a length of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4, and a gap exists between one of two ends of the compensating plate 8 and a corresponding end of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4. Because two ends of the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 are located in the edge area of the door body 1 , that the compensating plate 8 is not distributed in the edge area may avoid overcompensation in the edge area. In another embodiment, a compensating portion (not shown) protruding rearward is integrally formed on the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 at a rear side of the first side portion 41 close to the main decoration panel 2.

The door 100 may include a protective layer 9 attached to a rear side of the main decoration panel 2. The protective layer 9 may be a fibrous network structure. Therefore, even if the main decoration panel 2 made of ceramic is broken, the protective layer 9 may bond debris to avoid splashing.

In the embodiments described above, the strip-shaped decoration panel 4 is disposed along one edge area of the door 1. It should be understood that, in other embodiments, the door 100 may include the strip-shaped decoration panel disposed along two or more edge areas or all edge areas.

The various embodiments described in combination with FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 can be combined with each other in any given manner to achieve the advantages of the invention. In addition, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and other means than those shown may be used in general cases, provided that these means can achieve the same effect.