IP Library Granted Patent US 8,802,206
Granted Patent B2
US 8,802,206 · App. 13/264,997 · Granted Aug 12, 2014

Refrigeration appliance, and method for the production of a refrigeration appliance

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,802,206
App. No.
13/264,997
Granted
Aug 12, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigeration appliance includes a refrigerating space, a light-guiding layer, and a multi-layered part having a photocatalytic cover layer on a side facing the refrigerating space. The photocatalytic cover layer is applied to the light-guiding layer which enables light to be ducted to the photocatalytic cover layer.

Claims (54)

1. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:

a refrigerating space;

an inner wall at least partially delimiting the refrigerating space, the inner wall including a light-guiding layer and a photocatalytic cover layer applied to the light-guiding layer, the photocatalytic cover layer having a side exposed to the refrigerating space,

wherein the light-guiding layer is configured to duct light to the photocatalytic cover layer.

2. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , constructed in the form of a domestic refrigeration appliance.

3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate layer made of an inert material and provided between the photocatalytic cover layer and the light-guiding layer.

4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding layer has a layer thickness of 1 to 6 mm.

5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer has a layer thickness of less than 1 mm.

6. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding layer and the photocatalytic cover layer are formed of the same basic material.

7. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall is a molded part.

8. The refrigeration appliance of claim 7 , further comprising an additional support layer, wherein the light-guiding layer is applied to the additional support layer, thereby forming a three-layer structure of the molded part.

9. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , wherein the three-layer structure is produced by coextrusion.

10. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , wherein the additional support layer in the three-layer structure of the molded part is a polystyrene, SAN, or ABS.

11. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , wherein the additional support layer has a layer thickness of 3 to 6 mm.

12. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding layer is made from a material configured to be deep-drawn.

13. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein the light-guiding layer is made from polystyrene or SAN.

14. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding layer and the photocatalytic cover layer together form a two-layer structure, with the light-guiding layer being embodied as a support layer of the two-layer structure.

15. The refrigeration appliance of claim 14 , wherein the two-layer structure is produced by coextrusion.

16. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer has a photoactive material incorporated into a basic material.

17. The refrigeration appliance of claim 16 , wherein the photoactive material is TiO 2 .

18. The refrigeration appliance of claim 16 , wherein the basic material is polystyrene.

19. The refrigeration appliance of claim 16 , wherein the basic material is configured to be deep-drawn.

20. A method of forming an inner wall of a refrigeration appliance, comprising:

providing a light-guiding layer;

applying a photocatalytic cover layer on the light-guiding layer, the photocatalytic cover layer being configured to be exposed to a refrigerating space of the refrigeration appliance,

wherein the light-guiding layer is configured to duct light to the photocatalytic cover layer.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer is applied to the light-guiding layer after the light-guiding layer has been shaped.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the light-guiding layer is made from polystyrene or SAN.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising providing an intermediate layer made of an inert material between the photocatalytic cover layer and the light-guiding layer.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the light-guiding layer has a layer thickness of 1 to 6 mm.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer has a layer thickness of less than 1 mm.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the basic material is adapted to being deep-drawn.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the light-guiding layer and the photocatalytic cover layer are formed of the same basic material.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the applying step including coating the photocatalytic cover layer onto the light-guiding layer by extrusion at a first production step before the light-guiding layer and the photocatalytic cover layer are shaped.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer is coated onto the light-guiding layer by coextrusion.

30. The method of claim 28 , further comprising deep-drawing the light-guiding layer and the photocatalytic layer to form a shaped molded part.

31. The method of claim 28 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer is coated onto a support layer at the first production step with the light-guiding layer being located in between, thereby forming a three-layer structure of a molded part.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the three-layer structure is produced by coextrusion.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the support layer in the three-layer structure of the molded part is a polystyrene, SAN, or ABS.

34. The method of claim 31 , wherein the support layer has a layer thickness of 3 to 6 mm.

35. The method of claim 20 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer has a photoactive material incorporated into a basic material.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the photoactive material is TiO 2 .

37. The method of claim 35 , wherein the basic material is polystyrene.

38. A refrigeration appliance, particularly a domestic refrigeration appliance, having a multi-layered, particularly molded part which on its side facing the refrigeration appliance's refrigerating space has a photocatalytic cover layer, wherein the photocatalytic cover layer has been applied to a light-guiding layer via which light can be ducted to the photocatalytic cover layer, wherein the photocatalytic cover layer has a photoactive material, for example Ti0 2 , that is incorporated into a basic material, wherein the basic material of the photocatalytic cover layer as well as the light-guiding layer are capable of being deep-drawn, and wherein the basic material of the photocatalytic cover layer and the material of the light-guiding layer preferably belong to the same material families or are identical.

39. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the light-guiding layer is made from polystyrene or SAN.

40. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the light-guiding layer and photocatalytic cover layer together form a two-layer structure that is produced particularly by coextrusion and in which the light-guiding layer is embodied as a support layer of the molded part.

41. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the case of the molded part the light-guiding layer has been applied to an additional support layer thereby forming a three-layer structure produced particularly by coextrusion.

42. The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 41 , wherein the support layer in the three-layer structure of the molded part is a polystyrene, SAN, or ABS.

43. The refrigeration appliance as claimed claim 38 , wherein an intermediate layer made of an inert material has been provided between the photocatalytic cover layer and light-guiding layer.

44. The refrigeration appliance as claimed claim 38 , wherein the layer thickness (d 1 to d 4 ) of the light-guiding layer is 1 to 6 mm, of the additional support layer 3 to 6 mm, and/or of the photocatalytic cover layer less than 1 mm.

45. A method for producing a molded part for a refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 38 .

46. The method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer is coated onto the light-guiding layer by means of, for example, extrusion, particularly coextrusion, at a first production step (I) before the molded part is shaped in, for example, a deep-drawing process.

47. The method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer is coated onto the support layer at the first production step (I) with the light-guiding layer being located in between.

48. The method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the photocatalytic cover layer is applied to the light-guiding layer when the molded part has been shaped.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO REMOVE USSN 14373413; 29120436 AND 29429277 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 035624 FRAME: 0784. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Jun 19, 2015
From: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
To: BSH HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
Reel/Frame 036000/0848 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 11, 2015
From: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
To: BSH HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
Reel/Frame 035624/0784 →