Patent ID: 8162415
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: F25D

Abstract:
1. A household appliance comprising: a first housing with a sidewall having an outer surface and a shoulder fixedly connected to the outer surface; a second housing with a sidewall having an outer surface and a shoulder fixedly connected to the outer surface, the first housing and the second housing being arranged next to each other sidewall to sidewall with the outer surface of the sidewall of each of the first and second housings being in mutually facing relation to one another and the first housing and the second housing being connected to each other; connecting elements provided in respective front and rear housing zones of the first and second housings between the mutually facing outer sides of the sidewalls; and a seal configured to be elastically compressed between the mutually facing outer sides of the sidewalls of the first and second housings when the connecting elements are interconnected to one another in an installed condition of the household appliance, the respective shoulders of the first and second housings being located in the front housing zone of each respective housing, and the shoulders of the first and second housings being positioned generally facing away from each other in the installed condition of the household appliance and being generally aligned with each other in a direction perpendicular with respect to the outer surfaces of the first and second housings, wherein the shoulders are generally aligned with the connecting elements of the front housing zones of the first and second housings so that an outside force applied by a tool to squeeze the shoulders together operates to interconnect the connecting elements relative to one another, such that the first and second housings are connected solely by virtue of the connecting elements when the outside force is removed from the shoulders.