Abstract:
A housing part for a domestic appliance, preferably a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a freezer, a washing machine or a laundry dryer is uniquely constructed. The housing part has a load-bearing component part formed of an expanded thermosetting plastic, in particular of polyurethane integral foam. In particular, the housing part forms a door or a cover of a domestic appliance.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a housing part of a domestic appliance and also to a housing for a domestic appliance with such a housing part and to a domestic appliance with such a housing.  
         [0003]     Housing parts of domestic appliances, such as the door of a dishwasher for example, are assembled from a large number of different parts, some of quite different materials, in a complex way. They have an outer shell made of sheet metal and an inner shell made of stainless steel or thermoplastic (i.e. cast) material (for example polypropylene), a nonwoven insulating mat for thermal insulation, a bitumen mat for sound or vibration insulation and a metal structure for the fastening of hinges. All these parts must be assembled predominantly by screwing to the finished dishwasher door. This complex assembly is time and cost-intensive. Furthermore, an extensive inventory and related storage is required for the many different parts.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a housing part of a domestic appliance which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which is more simply constructed and easier to assemble housing part for a domestic appliance.  
         [0005]     With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a housing part of a domestic appliance. The housing is a load-bearing component part formed of an expanded thermosetting plastic.  
         [0006]     By producing a preferably load-bearing component part of the housing part from expanded thermosetting plastic, such as polyurethane foam for example, the effect is achieved that significantly fewer different parts are required for the housing part of the domestic appliance. On account of the high heat, sound and vibration insulating values of the thermosetting plastic, no insulating or other inserted mats have to be installed and, because of the great stability of the thermosetting plastic, no reinforcements have to be installed either.  
         [0007]     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing part is a door or a cover of the domestic appliance.  
         [0008]     A lock, hinges or connecting, fastening or reinforcing elements may be at least partly enclosed in the plastic foam. Furthermore, screw threads, cable ducts, air tubes, condensed-water tubes or moldings for fastening further component parts of the housing part may be formed in the plastic part.  
         [0009]     In a development of the invention, it is provided that operating, indicating and/or controlling elements of the domestic appliance are attached to the plastic part or are fully or partly enclosed in the plastic foam. The operating element may constitute a membrane keyboard, the indicating element may constitute displays or individual light-emitting diodes and the controlling element may constitute preferably encapsulated control electronics.  
         [0010]     The entire housing part is preferably assembled from the thermosetting plastic part and one or more further component parts. In this case, the further component part of the housing part may be a plastic shell, which preferably is formed of a thermoplastic material, or a metal shell, which preferably is formed of stainless steel.  
         [0011]     Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0012]     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a housing part of a domestic appliance, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.  
         [0013]     The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic, perspective, exploded view of a door of a dishwasher according to the prior art; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic, perspective, exploded view of a dishwasher door according to the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]     Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is shown a conventional dishwasher door. The door has an outer sheet-metal shell  1  and an inner plastic or stainless-steel shell  2 . In between there is a nonwoven insulating mat  3  and also bitumen mats  4 . 1  to  4 . 5 . A detergent container  5  is fastened in an opening  2 . 1  in the inner shell  2  by a holding frame  6 , which is screwed against the inner shell  2  from the other side of the latter. To reinforce the outer sheet-metal shell  1  and for the fastening of hinges  7 . 1  and  7 . 2 , a metal framework  7  is screwed on the outer shell  1 . On the outer shell  1  there is an operating and indicating part  8 , on which a membrane keyboard  9  is fastened. Control electronics  10  are accommodated in a plastic housing  11  with a cover  12  and fastened to the outer shell  1 . Likewise accommodated in the dishwasher door is a lock  13  and also a fan component  14  with an integrated fan and air duct. The fan outlet is provided with a filter covering cap  15 . To reinforce the door structure, a metal bar  16  is also screwed to the inner shell  2 .  
         [0017]     In comparison to this, the construction of a refrigerator door according to the invention is significantly simpler and is shown in  FIG. 2 . The outer sheet-metal shell is replaced by a plastic part  1 ′ formed of an expanded thermosetting plastic. The operating and indicating part  8 ′ is integrated in the plastic part  1 ′, i.e. is made in one piece with the latter. The hinges  7 . 1  and  7 . 2  are partly enclosed in the plastic foam of the plastic part  1 ′ and are consequently already firmly connected to the latter. The (welded-in or else not welded-in) control electronics  10  may be placed in the plastic part  1 ′, adhesively cemented in or even enclosed by the foam—without first having to be accommodated in a housing of their own.  
         [0018]     As can easily be seen from a comparison of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , according to the invention there is no need for a large number of individual parts, and the assembly of the dishwasher door is also significantly simplified.  
         [0019]     The plastic part  1 ′ is produced by a polyurethane integral foam technique. As a thermosetting plastic, PU foam has a series of advantages: high pressure, as used for example in the casting of thermoplastic material, is not required during production. Consequently, the molds required are simpler to produce and cheaper, thereby also making small production runs possible, and consequently different housing fronts or forms for different types of appliance. In addition, PU foam is flame retardant (it only burns above 500° C.) and has high insulating and damping values with respect to heat, sound and vibration. The relatively high wall thickness of plastic parts made of PU foam mean that they have great stability and do not need to be additionally reinforced by stabilizing elements being inserted or enclosed in the foam—although this is quite possible. Coloring of the plastic part  1 ′ and equally variation of the degree of hardening of the material or the surface are possible. Furthermore, if plastic is used, there is a greater freedom of design, so that contours, air tubes and condensed-water tubes as well as cable ducts can be designed according to requirements. Furthermore, operating, indicating and controlling elements can be integrated by attaching them to or else at least partly enclosing them in the foam of the plastic part  1 ′.  
         [0020]     The integral foam technique allows the front side of the plastic part  1 ′ already to be given such a pleasant appearance that there is no longer any need for the door to be provided with a facing or veneer. In spite of this, if the corresponding domestic appliance is for example integrated in a row of kitchen units with the same fronts, a corresponding facing can be provided on the front side of the plastic part  1 ′.  
         [0021]     The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment described. For example, it can also be used in the case of doors or covers of refrigerators and deep freezers or chest freezers. Furthermore, all other housing parts of domestic appliances can also be formed on the basis of this invention.  
         [0022]     This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German patent application No. 103 47 808.6, filed Oct. 10, 2003; the entire disclosure of the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference.