Patent Description:
Appliances, such as refrigerators, may be installed inside of pieces of furniture, such as cabinet structures.

The present invention provides a built-in assembly as defined in the independent claim <NUM>.

According to the present invention, a built-in assembly includes a refrigerating appliance, a piece of furniture, and at least one sliding and connecting device. The refrigerating appliance has a door. The piece of furniture has a cabinet structure and a front panel hinged to the cabinet structure. The refrigerating appliance is configured for installation in the cabinet structure. The front panel is arranged adjacent to the door of the refrigerating appliance. The at least one sliding and connecting device has a rail element and a sliding element. The at least one sliding and connecting device is configured to slidably secure the front panel to the door. The sliding element has a first flat portion and a second flat portion. The first flat portion is configured to be fastened to a horizontal edge or a vertical side edge of the refrigerating appliance door. The second flat portion has a first C-shaped cross section hollow profile and a second C-shaped cross section hollow profile each configured to engage and slide along a matching H-shaped cross section profile formed on the rail element.

The present invention relates to a refrigerating built-in appliance configured for installation in a piece of kitchen furniture having a front panel hinged to a cabinet structure. The front panel is typically arranged frontally at a door of the refrigerating appliance and connected thereto by way of at least a sliding and connecting device which comprises a rail element and a sliding element.

In the above kind of appliances the sliding and connecting device is installed between the door of the appliance and the front panel of a piece of furniture containing the household appliance, such panel being a door of the furniture niche.

According to such known technique it is possible to use both hinges, i.e. the hinge of the built-in appliance door and the hinge of the furniture front panel, without the need of using expensive special hinges having several axis of rotation.

For practical and aesthetical reasons, the two "doors", i.e. door of appliance and the panel/door of the piece of furniture, should remain as close to each other as possible during opening and closing, when there is a lateral shift between the two doors due to the two different vertical axis of hinges.

<CIT> discloses a built-in refrigerator in which a sliding element is installed on the vertical side of an appliance door, and a rail element is installed on a front panel of a piece of furniture configured to accommodate the built-in refrigerator, so that one of its ends protrudes from the sliding element during the entire rotation of the front panel which draws the appliance door. Therefore, for all possible positions of the front panel and door, both components of the sliding and connecting device are at least partially visible by the user when he/she opens the door of the appliance.

The same considerations apply to the solution shown in <CIT> where a rail element is fastened to an upper side of an appliance door and a sliding element is fastened to a front panel of a piece of furniture configured to accommodate the built-in refrigerator. Document <CIT> discloses a refrigeration device for installation in a furniture niche, with a furniture front panel arranged on the front of the refrigerator door, the furniture front panel being articulated to the front of the refrigerator door on its opening side via a sliding and connecting device having a guide and a sliding block. Document <CIT> discloses a refrigerator door provided with a plastic sliding element arranged at the middle height of the refrigerator door and guided on a plastic guide rail fastened in mounting holes in an outer furniture door.

Despite robustness and reliability of known sliding and connecting devices of the type above, they are generally perceived as cheap solutions due to their visibility to users when opening and closing the door of a refrigerator appliance.

Moreover, rail elements are typically provided with a removable plastic cover that conceals the screws used for fastening such element. During use of the appliance and in view of the position of the rail element near the vertical edges of the doors restrained to each other, such cover can be accidentally detached, increasing the low perceived quality of the device. The color of the material forming the rails may also fade over time further increasing the low perceived quality of the device.

For these reasons, direct connection of furniture panels to refrigerator doors is more and more used by manufactures of kitchen furniture. However, this solution is far more expensive and complex than sliding and connecting devices. Hence, a need exists to improve sliding and connecting devices for refrigerator built-in appliances.

To this end, this disclosure relates to a built-in appliance where at least one of the rail element and slide element is fully interposed between the front panel and the refrigerating appliance door so that it is hidden from view in the installed configuration.

According to an aspect of the invention, the sliding element has a first flat portion configured to be fastened to a horizontal side of the refrigerating appliance door and a second portion configured to slide on the rail element fastened to the front panel. In this aspect the rail element is fully hidden by the appliance door in any positions thereof.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the first flat portion is configured to be fastened to a vertical side of the refrigerating appliance door and the second portion is configured to slide on the rail element fastened to the front panel.

According to a further aspect, the sliding element is L-shaped and one portion is fully interposed between the front panel and the refrigerating appliance door so that it is hidden from view.

According to a further aspect, the door of the refrigerating appliance presents a seat for the first flat portion of the sliding element so that said flat portion is substantially flush with the door.

According to a further aspect, both the sliding element and the rail element are fully interposed between the front panel and the refrigerating appliance door so that they are hidden from view in the installed configuration.

Further technical features and advantages of the invention will be clear in the following description, which is provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The indications "upper", "lower", "top", "front", "bottom", "floor", "horizontal", "vertical" and the like refer to the positions and orientations of the household appliance in its intended use position with respect to an observer located in front of the household appliance.

With reference to the drawings, <NUM> indicates a kitchen piece of furniture having an upper front panel <NUM> and a lower front panel <NUM> (for instance wooden panels or the like), both hinged to a cabinet structure <NUM> of the piece of furniture <NUM> along a vertical axis and acting as doors of the piece of furniture <NUM>. Inside the piece of furniture <NUM> a built-in refrigerating appliance <NUM> (shown only schematically in the drawings) having an upper door <NUM> for closing a refrigeration compartment 12a and a lower door <NUM> for closing a freezer compartment is inserted.

Between each panel <NUM> and <NUM> of the piece of furniture <NUM> and each door <NUM> and <NUM> of the appliance <NUM> one or more sliding and connecting devices <NUM>, comprising a sliding element, or cursor, <NUM> and a rail <NUM>, is interposed. Due to the configuration of the hinges and to the door opening/closing movement, the rail <NUM> is typically assembled in a horizontal direction, namely a direction that is generally perpendicular to the rotation axis of the door hinges. The sliding and connecting device <NUM> disposed along the top edge of the door <NUM> in <FIG> is arranged in a first configuration, while the sliding and connecting device <NUM> disposed along the side of the door <NUM> in <FIG> is arranged in a second configuration. The door <NUM> is illustrated in hidden lines in some of the Figures so that the components of the sliding and connecting device <NUM> are visible. However, it should be understood that the door <NUM> may not be hidden although illustrated in hidden lines. Reference will be made in the following to door <NUM> and panel <NUM>. It goes without saying that the same considerations apply, mutatis mutandis, to door <NUM> and panel <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the first configuration is illustrated. Sliding element <NUM> is L shaped and has a first flat portion 18a fastened to an upper horizontal edge 12b of the appliance door <NUM> and a second flat orthogonal portion 18b on which a first hollow profile 18c having a C-shaped cross section is formed. The rail <NUM> is fastened on a rear surface of the front panel <NUM> and features a H-shaped cross section configured to match and engage the C-shaped cross section of the first hollow profile 18c. The sliding element <NUM> is fastened to the door <NUM> at a predetermined position, for instance in a seat <NUM> defined in the upper edge of the door so that the first flat portion 18a may be substantially flush with such upper edge 12b. Fastening screws (not shown) are inserted in openings 18d of the first flat portion <NUM>. Moreover, the first flat portion 18a has a seat <NUM> where a flat plug (not shown) can be mounted e.g. by snap-fitting in order to hide the screw heads and the openings 18d. The rail element <NUM> is fastened to the panel <NUM> or <NUM> by means of screws, and for its correct initial positioning a self-adhesive tape (not shown) may be used during the assembly of the built-in appliance.

Alternatively, the sliding element <NUM> may be fastened to the door <NUM> also by using its second vertical portion 18b which, in this case, will be provided with holes (not shown) for fastening screws.

When the sliding element <NUM> is assemble on the top edge of the door <NUM> of the appliance, its shape and dimensions (as indicated in <FIG>) are such that the rail <NUM> on which it slides is completely interposed between the panel <NUM> and the door <NUM> of the appliance, so that in any position of such door <NUM> during its opening and closing movement, it is totally invisible to the user. What the user can see is only the first flat portion 18a of the sliding element <NUM>, which is small and placed in a seat of the upper edge of the door, so that its visibility is very low.

The same kind of sliding connection between the panel and the door of the appliance can be used for the lower panel <NUM> (freezer) as well. Of course, some variants of this system can be adopted, for instance the sliding and connecting device <NUM> can be positioned at the lower edge of the door <NUM>, or additional sliding devices <NUM> can be used for horizontal edges of the door <NUM> (e.g., the second configuration of the sliding and connecting device <NUM>). Also, the shape of the sliding element <NUM> and of the rail element <NUM> can be different from what shown in the drawings, and the cross section of the rail <NUM> can be different from the H shape shown in the drawings, for instance it could have a simple T- shaped cross section. Also, the fastening means of the rail element <NUM> to the panels <NUM> and <NUM> could be different from screws. Alternatively, the rail element <NUM> could be glued to the panel.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the second configuration is illustrated. The sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the second configuration has all of the attributes as the sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the first configuration and vice versa. However, the L shaped sliding element <NUM> of the sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the second configuration, namely along a vertical side edge 12c of the door <NUM> of the appliance, is oriented at angle that is substantially perpendicular relative to the L shaped sliding element <NUM> of the sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the first configuration. Substantially perpendicular may refer to any incremental angle that is between exactly perpendicular and <NUM>° from exactly perpendicular.

Sliding element <NUM> is L shaped and has a first flat portion 18a fastened to the vertical side edge 12c of the appliance door <NUM> and a second flat orthogonal portion 18b on which a second hollow profile 18e having a C-shaped cross section is formed. The first hollow profile 18c and the second hollow profile 18e are substantially perpendicular to each other. Substantially perpendicular may refer to any incremental angle that is between exactly perpendicular and <NUM>° from exactly perpendicular. The rail <NUM> is fastened on a rear surface of the front panel <NUM> and features a H-shaped cross section configured to match and engage the C-shaped cross section of the second hollow profile 18e. The rail <NUM> of the sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the second configuration is substantially parallel to the rail <NUM> of the sliding and connecting device <NUM> that is arranged in the first configuration. Substantially parallel may refer to any incremental angle that is between exactly parallel and <NUM>° from exactly parallel. The sliding element <NUM> is fastened to the door <NUM> at a predetermined position, for instance in a seat <NUM> defined in the vertical side edge of the door so that the first flat portion 18a may be substantially flush with such vertical side edge 12c. Fastening screws (not shown) are inserted in openings 18d of the first flat portion <NUM>. Moreover, the first flat portion 18a has a seat <NUM> where a flat plug (not shown) can be mounted e.g. by snap-fitting in order to hide the screw heads and the openings 18d. The rail element <NUM> is fastened to the panel <NUM> or <NUM> by means of screws, and for its correct initial positioning a self-adhesive tape (not shown) may be used during the assembly of the built-in appliance.

The shape and dimensions of the sliding element <NUM> (as indicated in <FIG>) are such that the rail <NUM> on which it slides is completely interposed between the panel <NUM> and the door <NUM> of the appliance, so that in any position of such door <NUM> during its opening and closing movement, it is substantially totally invisible to the user. What the user can see is only the first flat portion 18a of the sliding element <NUM>, which is small and placed in a seat of the upper edge of the door, so that its visibility is very low. The assembly configuration shown in <FIG>, namely a combination of the first configuration and the second configuration of two sliding elements <NUM> and two respective rails <NUM>, is particularly useful when the door <NUM> of the appliance has to be assembled with a thin wooden panel <NUM> on which the rails <NUM> cannot be screwed. In this case, in order to have a robust and reliable assembly, at least two sliding elements <NUM> and two rails <NUM> are required. Thanks to the provision of the first hollow profile 18c and the second hollow profile 18e, which are mutually arranged at right angles, the same sliding element <NUM> can be used for the assembly with the respective rail <NUM> according to either the first configuration or the second configuration. This allows to reduce the manufacturing costs of the assembly kit, because the same type of sliding element <NUM> and the same type of rail can be used independently of the assembly configuration. It will be appreciated that, thanks to these features the assembly process is extremely easy and intuitive for a user. Moreover, in case of panels of a standard size, where the rails <NUM> can be screwed, a user can freely choose whether to assemble the sliding element <NUM> and the related rail <NUM> according to the first configuration or to the second configuration so as to minimize their visual impact.

The same kind of sliding connection between the panel and the door of the appliance can be used for the lower panel <NUM> (freezer) as well. Of course, some variants of this system can be adopted, for instance the sliding and connecting device <NUM> can be positioned at the upper horizontal edge 12b (e.g., the first configuration of the sliding and connecting device <NUM>) or lower edge of the door <NUM>. Also, the shape of the sliding element <NUM> and of the rail element <NUM> can be different from what shown in the drawings, and the cross section of the rail <NUM> can be different from the H shape shown in the drawings, for instance it could have a simple T- shaped cross section. Also, the fastening means of the rail element <NUM> to the panels <NUM> and <NUM> could be different from screws. Alternatively, the rail element <NUM> could be glued to the panel.

Claim 1:
A built-in assembly comprising:
a refrigerating appliance (<NUM>) having a door (<NUM>, <NUM>);
a piece of furniture (<NUM>) having a cabinet structure (<NUM>) and a front panel (<NUM>, <NUM>) hinged to the cabinet structure (<NUM>), wherein the cabinet structure (<NUM>) is configured to receive the refrigerating appliance (<NUM>), and wherein the front panel (<NUM>, <NUM>) is arranged adjacent to the door (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the refrigerating appliance (<NUM>); and
at least one sliding and connecting device (<NUM>) slidably securing the front panel (<NUM>, <NUM>) to the door (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the at least one sliding and connecting device (<NUM>) comprises a rail element (<NUM>) fastened to the front panel (<NUM>, <NUM>) in a horizontal direction and a sliding element (<NUM>) engaged with the rail element (<NUM>), said sliding element (<NUM>) having a first flat portion (18a) configured to be fastened to an edge (12b, 12c) of the door (<NUM>, <NUM>) and a second flat portion (18b) configured to mate with a front surface of the door (<NUM>, <NUM>),
characterized in that the second flat portion (18b) has a first C-shaped cross section hollow profile (18c) and a second C-shaped cross section hollow profile (18e) that is arranged at right angles with the first C-shaped cross section hollow profile (18c), the first and second C-shaped cross section hollow profiles (18c, 18e) being configured to engage and slide along a matching H-shaped cross section profile formed on the rail element (<NUM>), whereby the sliding element (<NUM>) can be assembled on either a horizontal or a vertical edge of the door (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the refrigerating appliance (<NUM>).